Did you know ... that the Spanish National Library keeps at least one copy of the books published in Spain?
Yes, it does. The Spanish National Library keeps at least one copy of everything that is published anywhere in Spain. Books from abroad that refer to Spain or that they are of interest are also kept.
All these books are stored in what is called a legal deposit. Not all books can be shelved on the library. So, they're stored in these deposits. These books can be borrowed if the Spanish National Library retains at least one of the copies. Depending on which book it is, it can also be reproduced for reading, although this may come at a cost.
How did it all begin?
It began with the royal libraries in the sixteenth century. The King of France, Francis I wanted to have a copy of all the printed books in the country. He added them to the royal library. He thus introduced the rule of the legal deposit, that required all printers to deliver a copy of all books. At that time there were not so many books because the printing technology was relatively new. The first printing press was invented in the 15th century, about a hundred years earlier. All books fitted in a library. Nowadays you need a bigger space for the books that are published.
Other countries did the same later. Spain is one of those countries, as are the United States, Canada, Latin America, and many others.
In Spain, the legal deposit began in 1716 when the Spanish National Library was the Royal Public Library.
One of the purposes of all the National Libraries is the conservation of bibliographic heritage and sharing this knowledge. Preserving what has been done in the past is a way of knowing how they thought at that time; you can also see what was the art like, the music, the science, and the literature throughout different ages. Ideological evolution can be seen over the years thanks to the books and other documents that are kept by national libraries.
It is important to keep all that information for future generations. That way they can learn about the past. Someone that forgets the past, repeats the same mistakes, so they say.
If you're a writer, you can have a look and find out if your book is in the country where it has been published.
What do you think? Do you think it's important to keep all this information?
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