Biblioteca Nacional de Guatemala “Luis Cardoza y Aragón” (The National Library of Guatemala), Guatemala City

The National Library of Guatemala is an example of mid-20th-century modernist architecture, housing a rich collection of Guatemala's literary and historical heritage. Founded in 1879 under President Justo Rufino Barrios and opened in 1880, the library moved to its current building in 1957, featuring a distinctive high-relief mural designed by renowned artist Efraín Recinos in 1967.

The library’s modern façade, featuring distinctive concrete reliefs by Efraín Recinos and interior murals inspired by Maya codices from artists like Antonio Tejada Fonseca, provides a compelling contrast to the neoclassical architecture of surrounding structures such as the National Palace or the Cathedral.

Inside, visitors can explore seven specialized reading rooms-including school, general, reference, children’s and a rare books section-as well as a dedicated braille room offering around 700 braille volumes and audio materials, plus a virtual library with some 35,000 titles.

As a vibrant public space, the library houses between 250,000 and 350,000 items-covering textbooks, Guatemalan and Latin American literature, newspapers, magazines, and archival documents-thanks to an ongoing digitization initiative aimed at preserving and protecting its most precious volumes . Visitors often enjoy board games like chess, and the chance to appreciate Guatemala’s literary heritage in a setting steeped in national history.