[Fondos y colecciones]
Collections and Holdings
The library opened to the public in 1996. It inherited the collections of the former Spanish Cultural Center, which had historically been enriched through donations from various public institutions. From that moment on, the Cervantes Institute launched an acquisitions policy aimed at updating the collection and adapting it to the needs of its users.
The library’s collection is made up of approximately 30,000 volumes representing Spanish and Latin American culture. Most of the works are published in Spanish, although materials can also be found in English and in the other co-official languages of Spain (Galician, Catalan, and Basque).
The holdings are organized into different sections:
- Reference works
- Spanish and Latin American literature
- Teaching and learning materials for Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Basque
- History, art, and social sciences
- Children’s and young adult literature
- English translations of Hispanic literature
- Film, including movies and documentaries
- Spanish and Latin American music
- Cultural magazines and journals
In addition, the Cervantes Institute’s digital library is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with only an internet connection required.
The Cervantes Institute digital library is a comprehensive set of online resources and services, offering access to e-books for borrowing and reading, music and audiobooks, electronic resources (databases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, etc.), as well as virtual reading and film clubs, among other features.