300 Years of the BNE: It's Yours

Abstract

The National Library of Spain, Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE), is celebrating its tercentenary from December 2011 until December 2012. This article outlines the history of the Library since its foundation by King Philip V of Spain in 1711. It describes the major collections and initiatives to digitize them. The project, Biblioteca Digital Hispánica (BDH), set out to digitize some 200 000 works. The collections include monographs, manuscripts, incunabula, graphics, periodicals and audio and video recordings. The use of digital technology has led to new services. For example, the Library communicates with its users via Facebook, Twitter and a blog, and has created interactive books such as Quijote interactivo. It is involved in cooperative projects such as Europeana, Hispana and the World Digital Library.