Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador BINAES

Overview

The Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador (BINAES) is the national library of El Salvador, located in the historic center of San Salvador adjacent to Plaza Gerardo Barrios. The current institution is the successor and physical replacement of the Biblioteca Nacional Francisco Gavidia, which operated for over 150 years before being demolished and replaced with a new seven-story building inaugurated on November 14, 2023.

History and Founding

The national library was founded by executive decree on July 5, 1870, during the presidency of Francisco Dueñas, with an initial collection of approximately 6,000 volumes inherited from Italian Cardinal Luigi Lambruschini, spanning French, Spanish, Latin, and Italian texts from 1500 to 1800. It was officially inaugurated on March 15, 1888, under President Francisco Menéndez. Over its history the library relocated multiple times, surviving earthquakes (notably 1873 and 1986) and administrative changes. In 2002, it was officially named after the Salvadoran writer and intellectual Francisco Gavidia (1863–1955), who had served as an honorary director. Following the institution's formal demolition in October 2021, a new facility — the Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador — was constructed with a $54 million donation from the People's Republic of China and inaugurated in November 2023.

Collections and Holdings

BINAES holds more than 360,000 physical volumes as well as access to millions of digital titles. Its historical collections include the original Lambruschini fund of rare 15th–18th century works, an extensive hemeroteca (periodical archive) with newspapers from 1822 onwards, and special collections of manuscripts from prominent Salvadoran intellectuals. The new facility includes a 360-seat auditorium, dedicated children's areas, and a cafeteria, and operates 24 hours a day. The Archivo General de la Nación (National Archive) was also relocated into the new BINAES complex.

Access

The library is freely open to the public, located on Avenida Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero y 4ª Calle Oriente No. 124 in San Salvador's historic center, facing Gerardo Barrios Square.