Biblioteca Nacional de Argentina ( ) Yago Cura GSLIS #701: Hess April 7, 2008

History of the Argentine National Library 1810: Establised as Biblioteca Publica de BA on 7 Sept. 1812: Opens on March 16. Jesuit Schools of Córdoba, Colegio de San Carlos de BA, and outstanding private collections comprise initial coll. 1884: Under Wilde’s tenure becomes la Biblio. Nac. de Argentina. 1885: Under Groussac’s direction collection is cataloged and classified. 1885: 25,000 volumes. 1893: 62,000 volumes. 1960: Construction begins on new facility 1994: Over 1 million volumes.

Advocates: Moreno & Sarmiento 1810: Mariano Moreno, Secretary of the May Junta. Founder of La Gaceta de Bueno Aires (Buenos Aires Gazette). 1810: On June 7 publishes “Orden de la Junta” (Order of the Junta) to announce the resolutions reached by May Junta. Designated “Protector” of Biblioteca Publica de Buenos Aires : Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, President of Argentina. Established public libraries in fourteen parishes in Buenos Aires. 1884: Enactment of Act number 1420 on Ordinary Education (Ley de Educación Común No. 1420) creates library called Biblioteca Pública de Maestros (Public Library for Teachers). 1870: With Act number 419 spreads public libraries all over national territory.

Extent of BNA 7 floors. 3 basements. Total area of 22,000 m² (square meters). Over 1 million volumes (1994). Incunabula: 21 items. Foulché-Delbosc Collection (French Hispanist).

Famous Directors of the BNA Jose Marmol ( ) : Poet and journalist, publishes first Argentine novel “Amalia” in Paul Groussac ( ) : French national “modernized” the BNA; historian, novelist, and literary critic. Gustavo Martínez de Zuviría ( ) : Novelist, lawyer, and academic; used pseudonym, Hugo Wast. Jorge Luis Borges ( ) : Poet and essayist; shared the Premio Formentor with Samuel Beckett (1961) and the Cervantes with Gerardo Diego (1981); “Ficciones” and “Labyrinths” best known translations of his stories (1962).

Brutalist Architecture 1961: Construction started by Clorindo Testa, Francisco Bullrich y Alicia Cazzaniga whose design won first prize in national competition. Main objective with design was to ensure provision of growth, especially in regards to Legal Deposit and expanding collection. Majority of construction is subterranean to accommodate hundreds of thousands of materials in Legal Deposit and collections. Subterranean construction as a means to preserve green space and the natural surroundings of the library.

April BNA April 7th: Entre la tierra y el mar: a celebration of Joseph Conrad. April 11th: Cine + Música de autor: a cycle of cinema and music organized by la Nave de los Suenos (The Airship of Dreams) and the BNA. April 13th: La Cantante Calva or the Bald Singer by Eugene Ionesco. April 16th: Conference: Homenaje a César Vallejo, organized by the Peruvian embassy and the BNA. April 18th: Conference: Roberto Arlt: two roundtables devoted to the distinct aspects of his literary work.

Summary 1810: Biblioteca Publica de Buenos Aires established on 7 Sept. by Executive Order of Government Junta. Sarmiento establishes public libraries in fourteen parishes in Buenos Aires which solidifies need for national library. 1884: BP de BA becomes BNA under tenure of Jose Antonio Wilde. 1885: Paul Groussac “modernizes” BNA; first cataloged and classified entire BNA collection; first to use quantitative data on patronage, etc. 1993: BNA moves into new building; main objective with design was to ensure provision of growth, especially in regards to Legal Deposit and expanding collection. 1994: Over 1 million volumes.