The National Library of Venezuela

Abstract

The National Library of Venezuela, now 141 years old, has 900 staff and a 1988 budget of $14.5 million. Its stock of c.2 million items includes over 1 million books and manuscripts, 15,000 periodicals, and audiovisual materials. Many changes have taken place since 1974 during a process of modernization, as part of a project to create a national information system, including the development of a National Audiovisual Archive (the first in Latin America) and the creation of a conservation service. During this time the National Library has also carried out a series of actions to support and promote the national book industry. As a result of the experience accumulated, the National Library is able to serve as a reference point for other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in planning and developing their own services and national systems.