Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain – January 9, 2026 – The Consorci de Biblioteques de Barcelona (CBB), a joint initiative of the Barcelona City Council and the Diputació de Barcelona, is commemorating its 25th anniversary on January 10, 2026. Established with the aim of providing a more coherent, efficient, and accessible public service, the network has experienced remarkable expansion and evolution over the past two and a half decades.
A Quarter-Century of Growth and Innovation
Since its inception in 2001, the CBB has continuously grown, expanding its physical spaces, diversifying its services, and increasing its range of activities and operating hours. This expansion has solidified libraries as vital intercultural and intergenerational hubs within the city, promoting dialogue, participation, and equitable access to culture and knowledge.
The network’s success is attributed to the dedication of its staff, who are recognized as the driving force behind this collective transformation. Their commitment and creativity have been instrumental in making Barcelona a more open, inclusive, and literate city.
Key Milestones and Statistics (2001 vs. 2025):
- Libraries: From 25 libraries in 2001 with 177 staff members, the network has grown to 41 libraries employing nearly 500 people.
- Users: Annual visitors have more than doubled from 2,327,815 in 2001 to over 5.5 million in 2025. The number of library cardholders has increased significantly from 192,204 (8% of Barcelona’s population) to nearly 750,000 (42% of the citizenry).
- Loan Service: The collection has expanded from approximately 700,000 documents across 7 specialized collections to over 2.3 million documents across 30 specialized collections. Annual loans have surged from over 1.4 million to more than 4 million in 2025. Over the last 13 years, RFID technology has been implemented in all 41 libraries to modernize and streamline loan processes.
- Cultural Activities: In 2001, the CBB managed over 350 activities with approximately 17,000 attendees, and offered several reading clubs with over 500 participants. By 2025, over 3,000 cultural and reading promotion activities were held, attracting more than 85,000 attendees. The number of annual reading clubs has grown to over 180, with nearly 1,400 sessions and over 17,000 participants of all ages.
- Digital Literacy: Recognizing the importance of bridging the digital divide, Barcelona Libraries have consistently offered digital training. From a pilot program in 2001 with 116 public internet computers and 137,434 users, the network now provides over 2,000 digital literacy activities annually to more than 10,000 attendees. All 41 libraries offer public internet access with a network of 521 computers, recording over 300,000 annual uses. The Antenes Cibernàrium initiative, launched in 2009, has expanded to 14 libraries, offering technological training programs.
Community Engagement and Sustainability
Beyond traditional library services, Barcelona Libraries actively engage with the community, extending reading promotion to hospitals, residences, correctional facilities, and educational centers. The Acció Lectora program, coordinated by Biblioteques de Barcelona since July 2021, continues to amplify reading promotion efforts.
In 2001, nearly 700 training activities were conducted for the educational community, with 15,600 student visits. In 2025, libraries hosted over 80,000 students for school visits and conducted more than 3,800 educational activities. The Acció Lectora program involved 83 educational centers and over 3,400 students.
The CBB has also prioritized environmental sustainability, implementing energy efficiency improvements in its buildings with the support of the Barcelona Energy Agency. Currently, all libraries in the network have energy monitoring systems, 19 have photovoltaic panels installed, 14 hold environmental quality certifications, and 20 possess energy efficiency certificates.
The anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year with a special program of activities.
Source: https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/biblioteques/es/bibpenitents/noticias/25-anos-haciendo-crecer-las-biblioteques-de-barcelona-1589654
