The National Central Library of Rome

In 1876, Rome's library started in the West Wing of the 16th century Palace of the Roman College. Then in 1974, the collections of books were moved to the newly built library located between the University of Rome's campus and the Termini subway station. 

The need for a new library was to create a common holding place for all of Italian literature. A National Central Library, by the Legal Deposit law, mandates that all books and items that are published in Italy, must send a copy to the library to keep a record of (Repubblica Italiana, 2007).

A National Library is established by the government and serves as a placeholder for all information for the country. The National Central Library of Rome’s mission is to “collect and preserve all publications in Italy and the most important foreign works” (“National Library of Rome,” 2013). The library’s collection currently contains 7 million printed volumes, 20,000 maps, 10,000 drawings, and 8,000 manuscripts (Murphy, 2016). 

Since the National Central Library of Rome was built in the 1970s, its architecture and place in its culture play a modern role in Rome’s landscape. In Italy, there are two National Central Libraries: Florence and Rome. 

Interview 1: 

I visited the National Central Library of Rome on a weekday, Tuesday, November 27, 2017. After going through the process of filling out new member information, and taking my picture (aka mugshot) for my free library card, I then put my shoulder bag and coat into a locker. Near the front desk, I approached a group of girls asking if they spoke English. 

I interviewed Stephanie, 24, who is studying Nursing at the University of Rome. Stephanie used to come to the National Central Library only on the weekends, but says she now comes everyday to study. She commented how she enjoys the space and variety of collections that the library offers. There is more room here to concentrate and meet with study groups. She prefers this library over her University’s library due to its vast amount of information. Stephanie speaks Italian, English, and Filipino, but is learning to be a nurse in Italian, and since the National Central Library of Rome has the largest Medical Collection in the Italian language, she has no problem finding resources for her studies. She told me that I’d find that most of the people studying in the reading rooms are from the University. 

When I asked her if she’s been to other floors of the library, she looked at me funny, and said, “No, all of the reading rooms are on this floor [the primary floor].” 

I asked her why she thought the library was so modernized with computers in every room and why the exterior of the library did not look like any other library I had seen nor imagined in a European country. She commented how the “city itself is a museum. There are many historical things in the city that you can’t modify or update because it’s history, so if you can modify something, you do it. There wasn’t an ancient library before, so there wasn’t anything for them to preserve.”

After further research, I found her statement to be true. The Biblioteca Nazonale Centrale di Roma was first built in a wing of the Roman College, run by Jesuits. The library was first built to hold books that 69 libraries donated to the Kingdom of Italy. In 1975, the library was moved to its current location, Viale Castro Pretorio, 105, 00185 Roma RM, Italy. A competition was held for potential designs of the new library. The chosen design was created by architects Massimo Castellazzi, Tullio Dell'Anese, and Annibale Vitellozzi. Concrete, glass, and aluminum were used to build and design the newly fashioned National Central Library of Rome. The 50,000 square meters is divided into four sections: ten floors used to store books; the Atrium, five floors consisting of office space and rooms for exhibits; the Conference room; reading rooms on the primary floor, in addition to a central gallery which features a museum of 20th century Italian literature (“National Central Library of Rome,” 2016).

Interview 2: 

After walking through the primary level of reading rooms, I stopped by the reference desk and began a conversation with one of the librarians. The woman that I approached didn’t speak English very well, so she called a friend from the Art Department with whom I was able to communicate better. Desiree, 30, works in the art section of collections. She also helps at the Reference Desk, selects books to be put on display to showcase, and helps shelve items. She has been working at the National Central Library of Rome for five months. When asked about the library’s architecture, she described it as a “rational building.” The language barrier was too wide to ask her to further explain such a statement, but from my understanding, she meant that the library isn’t for looks or to be something that it’s not (aka historic), it’s made to be useful and helpful to students and learners of the modern age. Computers and green spaces, containing art sculptures, gardening, and patios were added to the architecture plan to create a welcoming atmosphere. The library was designed to have enough space for the many users that come to study and use the facilities. The ten story building that stands adjacent to the west side of the primary floor, is to hold the library’s 7 million books in storage, for the exception of the books that are shelved in their assigned section in reading rooms (Murphy, 2016). Only staff is allowed into the building holding the collection of books. This makes sense why Stephanie (see Interview I) has only been on the primary floor of the National Central Library. 

Throughout the library, there are tables of displays of manuscripts, historic papers and books. Staff have a monthly, sometimes weekly, rotation of temporary exhibitions for subjects and topics of their choosing, showcasing different collections. The only permanent exhibition in the National Central Library of Rome is the museum of 20th century Italian literature. 

References

Murphy, B. (2016). The National Central Library of Rome adds catalog collections to WorldCat. Retrieved from https://www.oclc.org/en/news/releases/2016/201607leiden.html

“National Central Library of Rome.” (2016). Yamgu- Social Traveling, Retrieved from www.yamgu.com/en/place/6929/biblioteca-nazionale-centrale-di-roma-roma/

“National Library of Rome” (2013). In The European library. Retrieved from http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/tel4/contributor/P01326 

Repubblica Italiana. (2007). Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma [Brochure]. Rome, Italy: Tipografia SAS.