Biblioteca Nacional de España

Spain’s national library collects, preserves, and provides access to the country’s published documentary heritage. Founded in 1711, it holds books, manuscripts, maps, prints, and other materials.

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Legal deposit: A legal requirement that publishers or producers submit copies of their works to designated libraries or archives. Spanish legal deposit supplies the library with newly published material for preservation.
Philip V of Spain: King of Spain from 1700 to 1746 and founder of the Biblioteca Nacional de España. Philip V established the library by royal decree in 1711.
Hispanic Digital Library: The Biblioteca Nacional de España’s online portal to digitized items from its collections. It provides remote access to books, manuscripts, maps, and other holdings.
Archivo Histórico Nacional: Spain’s state archive for historical records transferred from public institutions and other sources. It preserves documentary records that complement the library’s published collections.
Bibliographic catalogue: An organized record of publications that identifies and describes library holdings. The library’s catalogue makes its extensive collections discoverable.
Royal Library of Spain: The royal collection of books and manuscripts from which Spain’s national library developed. The institution began as a library serving the Spanish monarchy.
Hemeroteca Digital: The Biblioteca Nacional de España’s digital newspaper and periodical collection. Digitized newspapers let researchers trace Spanish public life across time.
Museo del Prado: Spain’s national art museum in Madrid, known for its collection of European paintings. The Prado is another major Madrid institution preserving Spanish cultural heritage.
National bibliography: A systematic record of publications produced in or about a country. The library compiles Spain’s national bibliography from its collecting work.
Juan de Ferreras: A Spanish historian and cleric who became the Biblioteca Real’s first librarian. Ferreras helped organize the new royal library in its early years.