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| Congreso de los Diputados Library | |
|---|---|
| Name | Congreso de los Diputados Library |
| Native name | Biblioteca del Congreso de los Diputados |
| Established | 1834 |
| Location | Madrid, Spain |
| Collection size | ~1,000,000 volumes |
| Director | [Name] |
Congreso de los Diputados Library is the historic legislative library attached to the Congreso de los Diputados in Spain. Founded in the early 19th century, it serves deputies, senators, legal scholars and public researchers with specialized resources on Spanish law, European law and parliamentary practice. The library connects to broader Iberian cultural institutions and archives, including links with the Biblioteca Nacional de España, Archivo General de la Administración, Real Academia Española and international counterparts such as the Library of Congress, Bibliothèque nationale de France and British Library.
The library traces origins to post-Spanish Constitution of 1812 reorganizations, surviving political transitions from the Bourbon Restoration through the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish transition to democracy after Francisco Franco. Early benefactors included members from the Cortes Generales and jurists influenced by Mariano José de Larra, Ramón de Campoamor and legal thinkers linked to the Código Civil. Collections expanded during the reigns of Isabella II of Spain and Alfonso XIII of Spain and incorporated materials from the Council of Ministers and the archives of the Ministry of Justice. The library’s role evolved alongside legislative reforms such as the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and legislative procedures debated in plenary sessions presided by speakers like Federico Trillo and Ana Pastor Julián.
Housed within the neo-classical Palacio de las Cortes on the Plaza de las Cortes in central Madrid, the interior reflects 19th-century designs influenced by architects linked to projects for the Museo del Prado and the Cortes building. The reading rooms and stacks are near the hemicycle used by presidents including Manuel Azaña and Adolfo Suárez. Architectural details show affinities with other European parliamentary buildings such as the Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster, and decorative programs reference patrons like Isabel II and sculptors who worked on civic monuments in Cibeles and Puerta de Alcalá.
The library maintains monographs, serials, legal reports, legislative debates, parliamentary papers, and rare books including editions related to the Fuero Juzgo, the Siete Partidas, and codifications tied to the Napoleonic Code. Holdings include newspapers from ABC, El País, and legislative gazettes such as the Boletín Oficial del Estado alongside manuscripts linked to figures like Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo and litigators who appeared before the Constitutional Court of Spain. Special collections hold pamphlets, tracts from the period of the Peninsular War and legal commentaries by jurists such as Francisco Giner de los Ríos and Joaquín Costa. The archive preserves minutes and committee reports from commissions tied to treaties including the Treaty of Rome and debates on Spain’s accession to the European Community.
Services include reference, interlibrary loan with institutions like the European Parliament Library, bibliographic assistance for deputies, and public reading rooms modeled after services at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Vatican Library. Access policies balance privileges for members of the Cortes Generales and researchers from universities such as the Complutense University of Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and international scholars associated with the Oxford University or Harvard University. The library provides legislative information systems paralleling tools used by the United States Congress and the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and supports research on laws like the Ley Orgánica del Tribunal Constitucional.
Administratively the library reports to the secretariat of the Congreso de los Diputados and aligns with regulations issued by the Mesa del Congreso. Leadership comprises a director and council coordinating acquisitions, conservation and digitization in collaboration with bodies such as the Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte (España) and the Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España. Budgetary provisions are debated in committee hearings alongside allocations for parliamentary services overseen by figures such as committee chairs from the Constitutional Commission.
The library organizes exhibitions, lectures and seminars in partnership with the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Reina Sofía, Fundación Ortega-Marañón and academic chairs at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Exhibitions have showcased materials on the Spanish Civil War, the Transition and biographical displays on statesmen including Felipe González, José María Aznar and Santiago Carrillo. Educational programs target students from institutions like the Escuela Diplomática (Spain) and link to public awareness initiatives during events such as Hispanic Day and national commemorations.
Conservation units employ techniques used by the International Council on Archives and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions for paper stabilization, binding and climate control similar to practices at the Library of Congress and Biblioteca Nacional de España. Digitization projects aim to make parliamentary debates and historic documents available online, interoperable with platforms used by the European Union Open Data Portal and collaborative initiatives with the Hispanic Digital Library and university repositories at Universidad de Salamanca and Universidad de Zaragoza.
Category:Libraries in Madrid Category:Parliamentary libraries