Luis Ángel Arango Library (Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango or BLAA) is a public library located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is one of the largest and most important libraries in the world. It was founded in 1958 as a small library with a few books on economics, currently its collection has about 2.000.000 works. Today the library has been expanded and occupies two entire city blocks spanning about 45,000 m<sup>2</sup> (nearly 54,000 sq. yards). Its collection has grown to become the country's premier library and has come to be considered the most important public library in Latin America, and one of the most visited in the world. It has over 1.1 million books and seating for 1900 readers; it received 6.7 million visitors in 2008. The library is named after the lawyer and businessman Luis Angel Arango, the general director (Governor) of the "Banco de la Republica" in Colombia from 1947 to 1957, and a champion of culture and literature for all. The library is part of the cultural affairs wing of Colombian Central Bank (Banco de la República), Banrepcultural network, which today runs 23 additional libraries, cultural centers and museums across Colombia.
Notable Books and documents of its collection include, multimedia documentary materials of the Colombian Constitution, rare books and manuscripts purchased from private collections from around the world, as well as the Luis López de Mesa periodicals archive (Hemeroteca) which is an extensive newspaper archive collection. The Library also offers a collection of audio-visual materials. Additionally, there is a Concert Hall, art exhibits, reprography service, a cafeteria and parking facilities. It centralizes the "digital collection" and the "Virtual Library" (Biblioteca Virtual del Banco de la República) a growing repository of digitized content from the network of libraries of the Banco de la República. The Botero Museum is housed in one of the contiguous buildings purchased for the expansion of the library. The main entrance features a bronze statue of Athena or Minerva, Greek goddess of wisdom, the arts, trade and defense.
There is also a bookstore in the first floor of the library. The bookstore specializes in books about Colombia, scientific magazines, and literature related to Colombia and its values.
History
The first library of the bank, was established in 1932. It was located on the second floor of the Pedro A. López building in the bank headquarters in the Avenida Jiménez. Its collection comprised documents on economic, legal and fiscal issues and issues pertaining the activity of the central bank, with the archives from the currency council of the Banco de la República.
The bank acquired several private libraries, objects and documents of historic and patrimonial value to the Colombian nation as well as receiving donated private collections. Consequently, the bank conditioned a room then with only 25 people seating capacity and limited viewing time (open then from 2:00pm to 4:30pm Monday through Friday) to the general public. In 1945 the bank purchases the largest collection to date the Laureano García Otiz personal library.
thumb|Facade of Vengoechea Building location of the administrative offices.|alt=|left
thumb|Two city blocks and several buildings comprise the cultural complex of which the Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango Library is part. The graph shows the south and north block. Graph created by ElTiempo.com in April 2006.
After the bank moved its headquarters to a new building, General Director, Luis Ángel Arango, sought to relocate the library. The Old Mint House (Casa de la Moneda) was nearly destroyed in the Bogotazo riots and it was decided that the new expanded location of the library would be the remodeled and reconditioned building. Currently the Virtual Library has 80,000 texts, audio and video with 860 books, 4,700 magazine articles, 815 biographies and a considerable number of interactive pages for children and of art related topics.
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thumb|Internal Stairs
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File:Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango (Bogotá) 02.JPG|South West Entrance to the Concert Hall designed by Germán Samper
File:Biblioteca luis angel arango bogota sala panramica crista castellanos.jpg|Pan-American Hall with tables
File:Luis angel arango library bogota crista castellanos.jpg|Reference floor
File:ComplejoBanRep.jpg|An entire city block houses the several buildings that comprise the Luis Angel Arango Library
File:Sala de Conciertos de la Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango (40913804052).jpg|Concert Hall inside Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango, designed by Germán Samper
File:Minerva en la Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango.JPG|Minerva Statue, Main Entrance of the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango
File:BLAA Casa Republicana.jpg|Inside view of Republican House, a building inside the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango
File:2019 Bogotá - Relieve Mural horizontal de Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar en la Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango.jpg|Internal High Relief Mural by Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar in the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango
File:Luis angel arango library public castellanos crista.jpg|Reference floor of the Library, Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango
File:Casa Republicana Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango.JPG|Street view of Republican House, a building inside the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango
File:Hemeroteca Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango, Bogota.jpg|Periodicals Archive Hall of the Luis Ángel Arango Library designed by Rafaél Esguerra García
File:Sala de Lectura Luis Lopez de Mesa.jpg|Luis López de Mesa Reading Hall, Periodicals Archive (Hemeroteca) with concrete dome and skylights designed by Rafaél Esguerra García. Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango, Bogotá, c. 1957
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References
External links
- Official web site
- Virtual Library Banco de la República