Central Library (Central University of Venezuela) facts for kids
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
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| Location | University City of Caracas, Venezuela |
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iv) |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
The Biblioteca Central de la UCV, or Central Library, is the main library at the University City of Caracas in Venezuela. It's the most important library of the Central University of Venezuela. You can easily reach it because it's near the Ciudad Universitaria metro station.
Contents
History of the Central Library
The Central Library was first built in the 18th century. However, the building you see today was designed by the Venezuelan architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva in the 1950s.
Early Days of the Library
When the Central University of Venezuela was founded in 1721, its central library was also created. Back then, it was called "librería," which means "bookstore." By the early 1800s, the library had many books. But most were old history books. They didn't have much new information for students studying modern subjects. Also, the campus cafeteria was so close that smoke sometimes damaged the books.
In 1827, José María Vargas became the university's leader. He gave his own collection of books to the library. Later, in the mid-1800s, a visitor named Edward B. Eastwick noted about 3,500 books. He said most were about religion and were not well cared for. For a while, the Central Library also worked with Venezuela's national library. This made it hard to count their books separately. In 1893, an official rule separated the two libraries.
A New Building for Learning
The library stayed mostly the same until the university campus was rebuilt in the 1950s. The new library building opened on December 2, 1953.
In January 2012, a big project began to update and modernize the library. This project cost a lot of money and covered many parts of the building, including the books. The way the library was managed also changed. Some parts of the library were supposed to reopen in January 2013. However, there were problems with the walls, electricity, and even dampness. Despite these issues, the first rooms of the library reopened in June 2013.
One major improvement was adding bookshelves directly into the main study halls. Before 2013, most books were kept locked away. Even with these upgrades, some people felt the book collection itself needed more new and current information for students.
Design and Artwork
The Central Library looks like two main parts from the outside. There's a lower building and a tall, distinct "red tower." The main entrance to the library is in the lower building. This entry hall is sometimes used for art shows. It also features a huge stained-glass window created by Fernand Léger. In the basement of this hall, you can find a mural by Carlos González Bogen.
Beyond the entry hall, there are four main study rooms. Each room holds books on different subjects. In the red tower, you'll find news articles on the third floor. Journal reading areas are on the fourth floor. The library also has a special room for looking at maps. Plus, there's a computer lab with 25 computers for students to use.
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Central de la UCV para niños
- Universidad Central de Venezuela
- List of national and state libraries
- Culture of Venezuela
