[2] The library occupies an entire city block bounded by Agustinas, Matucana, Moneda and Chacabuco Streets.

On the other hand, the general public is the target audience of the library, while the Biblioteca Nacional focuses on the protection of specialized book volumes and bibliographical research.

Located in the Barrio Yungay, the library occupies 22,000 square metres (240,000 sq ft) of a building that was the former headquarters for the Dirección de Aprovisionamiento del Estado.

The Ministerio de Obras Públicas, which was a partner for the rebuilding, selected Cox y Ugarte as the architecture firm for the remodeling project.

The library was created to encourage the urban renewal of the surrounding area, which includes the Centro Cultural Matucana 100, Quinta Normal Park and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights.