Biblioteca Nacional de Argentina (1812-2008)

1. Biblioteca Nacional de Argentina (1812-2008) Yago Cura GSLIS #701: Hess YCura100@queens.cuny.edu croto26@yahoo.com April 7, 2008

2. 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.

3. 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. • 1868-1874: 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.

4. 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).

5. Famous Directors of the BNA • Jose Marmol (1858-1871) : Poet and journalist, publishes first Argentine novel “Amalia” in 1885. • Paul Groussac (1885-1929) : French national “modernized” the BNA; historian, novelist, and literary critic. • Gustavo Martínez de Zuviría (1931-1955) : Novelist, lawyer, and academic; used pseudonym, Hugo Wast. • Jorge Luis Borges (1955-1973) : 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).

6. 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.

7. April 2008 @the 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.

8. 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.