Pontevedra Public Library

The Pontevedra Public Library is located at number 3 Alfonso XIII Street, next to the Barca Bridge.

The Public Library of Pontevedra was created in 1848,{{Cite web|lang=es|title=La biblioteca de Pontevedra 'presume' de historia con una exposición sobre su origen |url=https://www.pontevedraviva.com/cultura/89506/actividades-biblioteca-pontevedra-dia-bibliotecas-2022/|website=Pontevedra Viva |date=21 October 2022}} when it received the old collections confiscated from the monasteries and convents suppressed by the Spanish confiscation. It was installed in the Provincial High School of Secondary Education, in the former Jesuit College,{{Cite web|date=25 October 2013|title=La biblioteca lee sobre su propia historia|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/2013/10/25/biblioteca-lee-sobre-propia-historia/0003_201310P25C12991.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}} opening on 2 February 1849.

Throughout its history, it has had several locations. At first, in 1907, it was located in the Palace of the Deputation of Pontevedra, then in the archives of the Provincial Finance Office and finally in the Valle-Inclán High School in 1931.{{Cite web|date=20 January 2013|title=Cuando Odriozola dio nombre a la Biblioteca|url=https://www.farodevigo.es/opinion/2013/01/20/odriozola-dio-nombre-biblioteca-17545220.amp.html|website=Faro|language=es}} In 1960, it was moved to the Fonseca House, then called the House of Culture, sharing space with the Historical Archive of the Province of Pontevedra.{{Cite web|date=22 September 2007|title=El organismo se instaló en 1960 en la Casa de los Fonseca|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/2007/09/22/organismo-instalo-1960-casa-fonseca/0003_6162343.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}}

In order to put an end to the situation of lack of space and shortage suffered by the Fonseca House and the library,{{Cite web|date=9 September 2017|title=Compra de un solar en Alfonso XIII para la nueva Biblioteca|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/2017/09/09/compra-solar-alfonso-xiii-nueva-biblioteca/0003_201709P9C7999.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}} and after examining several possible locations, on 7 September 1984 the Ministry of Culture bought a plot of land used as a garage by the La Unión bus company, in Alfonso XIII street. The Ministry of Culture built a new five-storey building for the library (basement, ground floor and four floors).

The project was carried out by Ministry of Culture architect Julio Simonet Barrio. He designed a building of {{Convert|3,300|m2|ft2}} spread over five floors, with three reading rooms for 200 people each, a meeting and conference room, an audio library and an exhibition room, as well as four large storage rooms with a total capacity of 280,000 books.{{Cite web|date=20 January 2013|title=Cuando Odriozola dio nombre a la Biblioteca|url=https://www.farodevigo.es/opinion/2013/01/20/odriozola-dio-nombre-biblioteca-17545220.amp.html|website=Faro|language=es}} At the end of 1987, the library moved to this location and the building was inaugurated on 21 January 1988.{{Cite web|date=7 September 2018|title=Nueva sede para la Biblioteca Pública en la rúa Alfonso XIII|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/2018/09/07/nueva-sede-biblioteca-publica-rua-alfonso-xiii/0003_201809P7C79910.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}}

In 1989 the management of the library was taken over by the Xunta de Galicia.{{Cite web|date=19 May 2023|title=Iceta sitúa en 2025 la reapertura de la vieja sede de Hacienda|url=https://www.diariodepontevedra.es/articulo/pontevedra/iceta-situa-2025-reapertura-vieja-sede-hacienda/202305191637061253979.html|website=Diario de Pontevedra|lang=es}}

On 28 April 1995, the Pontevedra Public Library was named after Antonio Odriozola, in honour of his work as a bibliographer and researcher in the library's collections.{{Cite web|date=28 April 2018|title=La Biblioteca Pública recibe el nombre de Antonio Odriozola|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/pontevedra/2018/04/28/biblioteca-publica-recibe-nombre-odriozola/0003_201804P28C11992.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}}

The library has a children's library organised by age, a library of adult literature, a section of informative books organised by UDC (Universal Decimal Classification), a reference section, a local collection on themes and authors from Pontevedra, including Legal deposit, a library of newspapers and audiovisual documents, a section of comics of all genres (adventures, graphic novels, humour, fantasy, science-fiction). The collection is complemented by the special collection of heritage material built up throughout its history, and an accessible collection of special materials adapted for disabled users.{{Cite web|date=26 October 2020|title=Las viejas oficinas de Hacienda podrían ser sede única del Archivo y la Biblioteca|url=https://www.diariodepontevedra.es/articulo/pontevedra/xunta-propone-convertir-viejas-oficinas-hacienda-sede-unica-archivo-provincial-biblioteca/202010261223491109737.html|website=Diario de Pontevedra|language=es}}

The library also holds the following collections:{{Cite web|date=26 October 2020|title=Las viejas oficinas de Hacienda podrían ser sede única del Archivo y la Biblioteca|url=https://www.diariodepontevedra.es/articulo/pontevedra/xunta-propone-convertir-viejas-oficinas-hacienda-sede-unica-archivo-provincial-biblioteca/202010261223491109737.html|website=Diario de Pontevedra|language=es}}

• Collection of the Archaeological Society of Pontevedra and the Casto Sampedro collection.
• Books in homage to Antonio Losada Diéguez.
• Muruais Library (1946), with French and English works on literature and art (mainly from the 19th century).
• Part of the library of the Mendoza sisters.
• Part of the library of Professor Carlos Villar.
• The library has 10 incunables, 20 manuscripts and 1849 rare books from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

The library offers the following services:{{Cite web|date=1 July 2021|title=Servicios. Biblioteca Pública de Pontevedra|url=https://bibliotecas.xunta.gal/pontevedra/es/servizos|website=Xunta de Galicia|language=es}}

• Consultation in the reading room.
• Loans (individual, group and interlibrary).
• Loan of laptops and e-book readers.
• Research and/or local section.
• Information and Reference Service (general information and bibliographic and reference information).
• User training.
• Guided tours.
• Document reproduction service (photocopying).
• Group work rooms; meeting and conference room; exhibition room (possibility of reserving rooms).
• Accessible library.

The library also offers electronic library services, including access to the Galician Library Network catalogue, access to electronic documents on physical media, public Internet access, Wi-Fi and office automation.{{Cite web|date=25 October 2013|title=La biblioteca lee sobre su propia historia|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/2013/10/25/biblioteca-lee-sobre-propia-historia/0003_201310P25C12991.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}}

The Pontevedra library also carries out activities such as exhibitions{{Cite web|date=23 March 2021|title=Dos exposiciones y dos obradoiros en la biblioteca de Pontevedra para el Día das Letras Galegas de Xela Arias|url=https://pontevedraviva.com/cultura/73319/dia-letras-galegas-xela-arias-estara-presente-biblioteca-pontevedra/?lang=es|website=Pontevedra Viva|language=es}} and bibliographic presentations, learning activities (languages, office automation, Internet navigation, etc.) or the promotion of reading and book discussion clubs.{{Cite web|date=29 October 2017|title=Los clubes de lectura triunfan en Pontevedra|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/pontevedra/2017/10/29/deciden-lee-pontevedra/0003_201710P29C5991.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|language=es}}

File: Entrada de la Biblioteca Pública del Estado en Pontevedra capital.jpg|Entrance

File: Biblioteca Pública del Estado - Pontevedra capital.jpg|Façade on Alfonso XIII Street

File: Inscripción con el nombre del arquitecto Biblioteca del Estado en Pontevedra capital.jpg|Inscription with the name of the architect and the year 1987

File: Biblioteca Pública del Estado vista central - Pontevedra capital.jpg|Front view

File: Sala infantil da Biblioteca de Pontevedra.jpg|Children's room on the first floor

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Las bibliotecas públicas del estado|publisher=Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Área de Cultura|year=1991|isbn=978-8474837599|location=Madrid|page=|language=es}}

• State Public Libraries (Spain)

• [https://bibliotecas.xunta.gal/pontevedra/es Library official website]
• [http://mapabpe.mcu.es/controlbibliotecas.cmd?idbiblioteca=696&idinforme=10 Website of the 53 State Public Libraries in Spain of the Ministry of Culture]
• [http://bibliotecapontevedra.blogspot.com.es/ Bibliotecapontevedra.blogspot]
• [https://www.facebook.com/pg/biblio.publica.pontevedra/about/ facebook.com/pg/biblio.publica.pontevedra/]
• https://web.archive.org/web/20170825225124/https://www.imgsta.com/user/bppontevedra
• [https://twitter.com/BPPontevedra Official LibraryTwitter]
• [http://www.galiciale.gal/ galiciale]

{{Pontevedra landmarks}}

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{{Subject bar|portal1=Book|portal2=Architecture|portal3=Spain}}

{{commons category|Public State Library of Pontevedra}}

Category:Organizations established in 1848

Category:Buildings and structures in Pontevedra

Category:Culture in Pontevedra

Category:Public libraries in Spain

Category:Buildings and structures in the Province of Pontevedra