[1] The library was founded in 1959 and occupied two different buildings before moving to its current location in the Maria Luisa Park.

[2] The library was opened on 2 October 1959, at first in premises provided by the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del Pais.

[4] In its new location the library has attracted growing numbers of visitors, prompting the management to extend the hours that it is open, even in the summer.

In addition to being used for reading and study, the library supports a variety of cultural activities throughout the year.

These include film series aimed at young audiences, musical theater and concerts.

This drew complaints from students who had come to rely on the library as a place to study and from older people in the habit of reading the papers there in the afternoon or watching movies.

[11] The two-story building conceals an interior courtyard, invisible from outside, which provides a second source of natural light for the reading rooms.