National Library of Colombia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Library of Colombia |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Type | National Library |
| Established | January 9, 1777 |
| Location | Calle 24 N° 5- 60 Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Coordinates | 4°36′34.39″N 74°4′7.14″W / 4.6095528°N 74.0686500°W |
| Other information | |
| Director | Consuelo Gaitán Gaitán |
The National Library of Colombia (Spanish: Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia) is a very important national library located in Bogota, Colombia. It is part of the Colombian Ministry of Culture. This library helps keep the country's history and knowledge safe.
Contents
History of the National Library
The National Library of Colombia is thought to be the oldest national library in the Americas. It was started in 1777 by a leader called Viceroy Manuel De Guirior in Bogotá. The first books came from the Jesuit community. These books were taken after King Charles III of Spain ordered the Jesuits to leave in 1767.
In 1825, Francisco de Paula Santander helped move the library to the Colegio de San Bartolomé. This is when it got its current name. A very important law was made on March 25, 1834. This law, called the first legal deposit law, said that all new books and printed materials in Colombia had to be sent to the library. This made the library the main place to keep all of Colombia's written history.
The library holds many valuable items. These include very old books (incunabula), prints, sound recordings, and videos. These items have great historical and artistic value. The building itself was opened in 1938 and updated in 1978. It has four floors. The first floor has reading rooms and exhibition areas. The second floor is for newspapers and researchers. The upper floors store books and have offices.
The library offers many services. You can get a user card, make copies of works, and take guided tours. Many important people have donated valuable collections to the library. Some of these include Manuel del Socorro Rodríguez, Miguel Antonio Caro, Rufino José Cuervo, Eduardo Santos, and Germán Arciniegas.
What the Library Does
The main goal of the library is to:
- Make sure the country's history is found, kept safe, and can be used by everyone. This includes all books, newspapers, and other materials.
- Help and support public libraries across Colombia.
- Plan and create rules about reading and how to get information. This helps Colombians learn and grow.
The library also helps train people who want to become librarians in Colombia. It even shares books with libraries in other countries.
Library Functions
The library has several important jobs, according to a decree from the Senate of Colombia:
- It advises the Ministry of Culture on how to manage Colombia's national collection of books and newspapers.
- It guides plans for creating and improving public libraries and their services.
- It leads and connects all the public libraries in the country.
- It collects, organizes, protects, and shares the nation's books and newspapers in all forms.
- It plans how reading can help Colombians learn and develop their minds.
- It helps build the national identity by organizing the country's written history.
- It works with groups in Colombia and other countries. This helps promote culture and share books and reading ideas.
- It helps other scientific, cultural, and educational groups with their research and cultural projects.
The Legal Deposit Law
The legal deposit law is very important for the library. It is guided by several laws and decrees. These rules say that anyone who creates printed works, videos, or audio recordings must give a certain number of copies to the National Library. This applies to works made in Colombia or brought into the country.
- For printed works, two copies must go to the National Library of Colombia. One copy goes to the Biblioteca del Congreso de la República de Colombia (Library of the Congress). Another copy goes to the Central Library of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (National University of Colombia). Sometimes, if a book is very expensive or only a few copies are made, fewer might be needed.
- For videos, audio works, or imported works, only one copy needs to be given to the National Library.
The Library's Collection
Thanks to the legal deposit law and many generous gifts, the National Library has a huge collection of publications. The collection includes:
- 47 incunabula: These are very old books, printed before the year 1501.
- 610 volumes of manuscripts: These are books or documents written by hand.
- Many other "rare and curious" books. These were often bought from or given by important people in Colombian history. Some of these collections came from Eduardo Santos, German Arciniegas, Jorge Isaacs, Manuel Ancízar, Marco Fidel Suárez, Miguel Antonio Caro, and Rufino José Cuervo.
- Publications from the United Nations Library.
- Historical artworks, like the watercolors from the Chorography Commission.
The legal deposit law has also helped the library get many audio recordings. It has also allowed the library to collect most of the publications made in Colombia since 1830. The library also has a newspaper collection with priceless items. One example is the Aviso de Terremoto, which is considered the first newspaper in Colombia.
The National Library of Colombia has over 2,000,000 items in total. About 25% of these came from the legal deposit laws. Most of the other items have been given as donations.
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia para niños
- Asociación de Estados Iberoamericanos para el Desarrollo de las Bibliotecas Nacionales de Iberoamérica
Images for kids
-
The National Library from above
