The Biblioteca Nacional (National Library in Portuguese) is the depository of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, at Cinelândia square.
One of the largest libraries in The Americas, its collections include over 9 million items1.
In 1907, presidential Decree no. 18252 established the duty of all publishers to send one copy of each publication to then-called Bibliotheca Nacional. In 2004, this decree was revoked by congressional Law no. 10,9943 , still in force, upholding the same mandate but updating its provisions.
Article 1st of Law no. 10,994 specifies that the legal deposit's aim is "to ensure the registration and custody of national intellectual production, to allow for the control, development and spreading of current Brazilian bibliography, and to defend and preserve national language and culture."
