The National library of Peru depends on the minister of education. It is located at Lima.

History

Founded for the first time the August 28th 1821 by the Argentinian general Jose de San Martin (the liberator of the South, in opposition to Simon Bolivar, the liberator of North), it is originally consisted of the personal collection of San Martin. At that time, the Peruvian biblio-economic landscape is consisted of the libraries of convent and a relatively recent creation: the first college library of the country, that of the University of San Marcos which then recovered part of the books of the Jesuits expelled in 1767, and which will play until the semi-XXe century what one could call a role of associated pole (registration of copyright; circulation of the personnel following the example Jorge Basadre, called by Pedro Zulen to work with the library of San Marcos whereas he was storekeeper with the BN…).

The institution lives sparely (the Registration of copyright instituted in 1822 functions very badly), and at the time of the occupation of Lima by the Chilean troops (1881-1883), the two libraries are put at bag. It is known that the great majority of the books were sold with the weight in the streets of Lima and that a part is today in Santiago. The return of the “stolen” books is a recurrent theme in the press, which treats it on a sensational and very patriotic mode which already obstructed on several occasions the diplomatic negotiations. It is prickly to note that contrary to the library of San Marcos, the National library hardly had on this date of bibliographical tools and that if one can today identify the books which were there at the time of the bag, it is because the librarians of Santiago took care to treat them separately. In 1883, Ricardo Palma - which, with Pedro Zulen, Jorge Basadre, and some others, is one of the large intellectuals librarians of the national history - is named director of the National library. Tiny room to make door with door in its company of reconstitution of the funds, it is called “the librarian begging”. It informs the minister of Justice, on November 12th 1883, that “the library does not exist, considering of fifty six thousand volumes which it contained, I found of them only seven hundred and thirty and one. ” Its rival and successor, Manual González Prada (precursor of the movements radical indigenists), will show it many professional misconducts (like to have cut out all the autographs and ex libris…).

After a fire which destroys part of the funds (1943), the large historian and already librarian Jorge Basadre has to take the direction of the establishment. It founds in 1944 the review of BNP, Fenix ; organize, as from 1945, the establishment of the national bibliography; create the first school of Peruvian bibliothecology.

Years 1990 saw the formulation of a certain number of criticisms and the first steps for the construction of a new building, whose synthesis is produced by the Commission of transfer for the National library of Peru and is published in a review of San Marcos. This one is inaugurated on March 27th 2006, in a rich district and “amount” of Lima, San Borja.

Functions and administrative status

“By definition, the National library is an institution which has three functions which differentiate it from all the other types of library and information centers ( unidades of informacion ), first is of patrimonial nature, the second of normative nature and the third holds with the articulation and the development of the biblio-economic services at the national level. ” In a intellectual context and professional where the bond between library and development (formulated by proclamation of UNESCO of 1994 on the public library) is strongly put forward (as well in the publications as in the formation librarians), a commentator precise which “it is a insitution dedicated to the effective of the Cultural heritage, bibliographical and documentary administration national, as of the universal intellectual capital that it has, with for goal to support cultural development, scientist and technological, to contribute to economic development and social and to help with the training of citizens and associations informed and active”.

Some figures

• Environ 400.000 readers per annum visit the National library of Peru (the source used does not specify, alas, if it acts readers or visits)

• Environ 3.500.000 parts bibliographical
• Environ 115.000 titles concerned with the patrimonial collection

External bond

• Official site