National Library of Brazil

The National Library of Brazil (Portuguese: Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil, official name is Fundação Biblioteca Nacional) is the depository of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, the capital city of Brazil from 1763 to 1960, more specifically at Cinelândia square. Considered by UNESCO the largest library in Latin America and the seventh largest in the world, its collections include about 9 million items. It organized the first library science courses in Latin America and its staff has led the modernization of library services, including the development of online databases. History Bust of the library's founder, King John VI of Portugal . The National Library, c. 1920 The history of the National Library began on 1 November 1755, when Lisbon suffered a violent earthquake . The Royal Library was considered one of the most important libraries in Europe at that time. This irreparable loss to the Portuguese was the impetus for moving many of its contents to Brazil. The collection was brought in three stages, the first being in 1810 and two in 1811. The library of 60,000 books was accommodated initially in the upstairs. Building Façade of the current building in 2010 In 1858, the library was transferred to the Passeio street, number 60, in Lapa square, and installed in the building intended to better shelter its collection. As its collection continued to grow with donations, acquisitions and through legal contributions, purchase of rare art collections at auctions and in bookstores around the world, a new building was needed that better suited its needs. The constant and permanent growth of the collection of the library was fundamental for the realization of a project of construction of a building that.