Public Library of Valencia

The Public Library of Valencia is the main library of the city of Valencia. It was founded in 1838, but it moved to its current home in 1979. The building it uses today used to be the main building of the former Hospital for the Poor Innocents. This library is a very important place for people in Valencia who love to read and learn. It holds many books, resources, and offers many services to the community.

History

The Public Library of Valencia started in 1938 as the Popular Library of Valencia, first placed in Casa Vestuario, in Plaza de la Virgen. In 1979, it moved to its current home in the old Hospital for the Poor Innocents.

The building that now holds the library was built in 1409 by local people after a talk by Fray Juan Gilabert Jofre. It was the first psychiatric hospital in Europe. In 1493, it was allowed to grow, and the part that looks like a Greek cross now holds the library. It had rooms for men on one floor and women on another.

For many years, several smaller hospitals worked in Valencia, each run by different religious groups. In 1511, Ferdinand II of Aragon decided to combine them into one big hospital. Fires and changes happened over time, but some old parts stayed, like the Gothic door you see today.

The building stopped being a hospital in 1960 when a new hospital opened. People worked hard to save parts of the old building from being torn down. In 1979, the Public Library of Valencia moved into this saved space. The library uses the different parts of the building for various services, like books for kids and adults, and places to study humanities and science.

Services

The Public Library of Valencia offers many helpful services for everyone. You can borrow books and other materials to enjoy at home, and there are special rooms for reading and checking out items. The library also provides online services, such as requesting books from other libraries, making reservations, and renewing loans. You can also connect to the internet and join cultural activities right at the library.

Directors

**Directors of the library**
Director	Years
Pilar Faus	1979–1993
Carolina Sevilla	1993–2007
Rafael Coloma	2008–2010
María Jesús Carrillo	2010–2014
Everilda Ferriols Segrelles	2014–2016
Ana Moure	2016–Present

Gallery of images

Here are some pictures showing different parts of the Public Library of Valencia. You can see where the old hospital used to be, now turned into the library. There are views of the building's central and side sections, details from inside and outside of the dome, and a Gothic doorway from the first building. There is also a map of the hospital drawn in 1704 by someone named Pare Toca.