Luis Angel Arango Library, Bogota

The Luis Angel Arango Library, located in Bogota, is one of the largest and most significant libraries in the world. Founded in 1958 as a modest collection focused on economics, it has evolved into Latin America’s premier public library and a cultural hub. The library now spans two entire city blocks, covering approximately 45,000 square meters (nearly 54,000 square yards), and houses an impressive collection of around 2 million works. With over 1.1 million books and seating for 1,900 readers, the library remains a focal point of cultural and intellectual activity.

Named after Luis Angel Arango, a lawyer, businessman, and cultural advocate who served as the general director of the Bank of the Republic from 1947 to 1957, the library operates under the cultural affairs wing of Colombia’s central bank. It is part of the Banrepcultural network, which manages 23 additional libraries, cultural centers, and museums across the country.

The library’s collection features rare books, manuscripts, multimedia documentary materials on the Colombian Constitution, and the extensive Luis López de Mesa periodicals archive. It also includes audiovisual resources and a growing digital repository through the Virtual Library of the Bank of the Republic, which centralizes digitized content from the Banrepcultural network.

A bronze statue of Athena (Minerva), the Greek goddess of wisdom and the arts greets visitors at the main entrance. This emblematic figure underscores the library’s dedication to fostering knowledge and culture. The library’s bookstore on the first floor further enhances its role as a cultural cornerstone, offering publications that celebrate Colombian heritage and values.