National Library of Santiago

Within its collections it is possible to find an edict of 1516 issued by the Kings of Spain so that the conquerors governed America and the books left in 1767 by the Society of Jesus, after their expulsion from America by the Spanish crown.

A little history…

The National Library is one of the first republican institutions in the country and, as such, has the seal and founding impulse of the founding fathers.

Bernardo O'Higgins helped consolidate the first steps of the young library, arranging for the transfer of the old collections that had belonged to the Jesuits and that were at the University of San Felipe. In addition, O'Higgins appointed Manuel de Salas director, who, supported by fray Camilo Henríquez, committed all his effort and will to increase the collections of the nascent library. In 1820 the Legal Deposit was created, which it forced printers to leave a copy of each book, magazine or newspaper published in Chile at the National Library. This rule was perfected in 1834 with the Literary Property Law

In 1913, the first stone of the portentous neoclassical building that is now in the Center of Santiago was laid, on the hundredth anniversary of the institution's life. The design was in charge of the architect Gustavo García del Postigo, who spared no expense for his work, as a way of demonstrating the transformation of Santiago from a small-town city into a major metropolis. However, the lack of resources forced the building to be inaugurated in 1926 without one of the four façades foreseen in the original design, in the shape of a Maltese cross.

In 2018 the National Library became part of the National Cultural Heritage service and today, aware of technology and its advances, the National Library toincorporating digital technologies to safeguard the  intellectual and bibliographical culture of Chile.

What to see in the National Library?

In this library of more than 200 years, you can review different galleries and collections, it has more than 3 million bibliographic pieces. You can also visit the different halls of the building. Here you will find sections of Chilean publications, sections of historical newspapers, magazines, collection of encyclopedias and much more.

The Library is located just a 2-minute walk from the Santa Lucía stop of the Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus and from the Santa Lucía Metro Station (Line 1).

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Schedules: Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Entry: Free.

Address: Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 651, Santiago.