This is an independent, unofficial reference resource about the National Library and Archives of Bolivia — the Archivo y Biblioteca Nacionales de Bolivia (ABNB) — in the historic city of Sucre. It gathers publicly documented facts about the institution's history, its collections, and the broader documentary and literary heritage of Bolivia. It is not the institution's official website and makes no claim of affiliation.
Sucre is home to the National Archives and Library of Bolivia, a joint institution that serves as both the country's principal repository of historical documents and one of Sucre's most important libraries. The combined archive and library preserves hundreds of thousands of volumes and thousands of linear meters of manuscripts spanning the colonial and republican eras, from the time of the Audiencia de Charcas to the present day.
Why This Institution Matters
Few institutions hold a nation's memory as directly as a national library and archive. The ABNB safeguards the raw record of Bolivia's past: royal provisions, colonial court proceedings, ecclesiastical records, early printed books, and the newspapers through which a young republic argued with itself. For historians, students, genealogists, and citizens alike, these holdings are the primary evidence from which Bolivia's story is written.
Two of the collections cared for in Sucre have been recognized by UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, an international effort to safeguard documentary heritage of exceptional value. That recognition places these Bolivian records alongside the world's most significant surviving documents.
What You Will Find Here
This guide is organized into focused, plain-language sections. Each draws on public records and reputable published sources, and each is intended for readers who want reliable background rather than a substitute for the institution's own services.
- History — how the National Library and the National Archive were founded and merged into a single institution.
- Collections — an overview of the books, periodicals, and manuscripts held in Sucre.
- The National Archive — the colonial and republican documentary funds at the heart of the institution.
- Memory of the World — the UNESCO-inscribed documentary treasures associated with Bolivia.
- Bolivian Literature — the literary heritage the library helps preserve.
- Preservation & Digitization — how fragile records are conserved for the future.
- Sucre — the World Heritage city that surrounds the institution.
A Note on Sources and Independence
Everything on this site is compiled from openly available information and cited to reputable authorities such as UNESCO, the Fundación Cultural del Banco Central de Bolivia, and standard reference works. Where the historical record is incomplete or contested, we say so. For official hours, catalog access, research appointments, and current programs, please refer to the institution itself; you can learn more on our about page and our visiting information page.