Venezuela

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 Formal Name:           Biblioteca Nacional
 Name of Librarian:    Virginia Betancourt
 Address:                   Servicios de Bibliotecas, Final Av Panteon Esq Fe a Remedios, Apdo 6525, Caracas
 Phone:   (02) 922420      Fax:   919545

History & Collections

The Biblioteca Nacionai de Venezuela was founded by decree in 1833. Its scope of responsibilities  was  expanded  by  law  in  1977  to encompass the public library system and a broad array of information services. Its full name is Instituto
Autonomo Biblioteca Nacional y de Servicios de Bibliotecas.

Under the leadership of Virginia Betancourt, Director from 1974, this Institution has developed library and information services in the country, reaching out to a population new to library services. It is organized around four main programs: the National Library as such, the National Public Library System, and a Technical Services support program covering all holdings, and an administrative program.

By 1987 the National Library housed more than 1,000,000 books, almost 1,000,000 periodicals (mostly on Venezuelan topics), almost 500,000 audiovisual Items, and a microfilm collection of 10,000 frames of official publications.

Sources:

World guide to libraries. New York: Saur, 1998.
World encyclopedia of library and information services. 3rd ed. Chicago: American Library Association,c1993.