Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
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Newsjunkie.net is a resource guide for journalists. We show who's behind the news, and provide tools to help navigate the modern business of information.
Use of Data
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The Biblioteca Nacional José Martí (National Library José Martí, BNJM) is the national library of Cuba, located in Havana near the Plaza de la Revolución. It is the country's principal institution for the acquisition, processing, and preservation of Cuba's national literary heritage and the most representative works of universal literature. With collections exceeding four million documents dating back to the fifteenth century, it is the most representative library in the Caribbean region.
The library was established on October 18, 1901, under the direction of the prominent Cuban intellectual Domingo Figarola Caneda, who donated his private bibliographic collection as its founding nucleus. For much of its early history, the library operated in inadequate facilities, including a small warehouse in the Castillo de la Fuerza. The first stone of its current headquarters was laid on January 28, 1952 (the anniversary of José Martí's birth), and the building was officially inaugurated on February 21, 1958. The library took its current name honoring Cuba's national hero José Martí in 1949.
The BNJM holds more than four million documents including books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps, prints, photographs, and audio materials spanning from the fifteenth century onward. It is the legal deposit institution for Cuba and the governing center for the country's network of over 400 public libraries. The library has been declared a National Monument of the Republic of Cuba. It is also the repository institution for United Nations documentation.
BNJM is a partner in the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), contributing digitized materials for open access. Its collections are discoverable through WorldCat. The library promotes the National Reading Program and conducts cultural activities including the annual Leer a Martí competition. Reading rooms have variable hours; researchers should consult the official website for current schedules.