The Library of the Fundación Universitaria Española holds a valuable bibliographic collection specializing in the humanities. Among its most important collections are those related to spirituality and patrology, history, literature, bibliography, art and iconography, philosophy, and pedagogy. Its more recent holdings include collections of classical works, primarily in Spanish, French, Greek, and Latin. The Austral, Cátedra, Castalia, and Biblioteca de Autores Españoles editions, among many others, cover a wide spectrum of Spanish and world literature. There is also a significant collection focused on Madrid-related topics (history, literature, art, and anthropology).
The library has been built through purchases and donations. Notably, the donation from Pedro Sainz Rodríguez includes numerous volumes from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Another significant collection comes from the architect Carlos Sidro de la Puerta, comprising around 4,000 volumes, with first editions by 16th- and 17th-century theorists (such as Vignola, Serlio, and Palladio) and studies about Madrid. Specialized catalogs will gradually be published.
The library of the FUE maintains an active publication exchange policy with cultural institutions around the world. The journals published by the various seminars of our Foundation (History, Literature, Philosophy, Law, and Art) are exchanged with those of universities, research centers, foundations, and cultural associations in Spain and abroad, providing us with a significant collection. In addition, we subscribe to titles not received through exchange but considered essential for a university center. The number of periodical titles approaches 1,400, of which 500 are complete and currently ongoing collections.
The Library holds approximately 120,000 titles in total. Of these, nearly 10,000 are from before the 20th century and are included in the Collective Catalogue of Bibliographic Heritage, available on the website of the Ministry of Culture, making them accessible from anywhere.
Furthermore, many of these holdings (all 16th-century printed works and part of those from the 17th century) have been digitized and are accessible to all users through the Digital Library of the Community of Madrid.
Its valuable heritage continues to grow thanks to donations, exchanges, and purchases, with special effort devoted to computerized cataloging, conservation, restoration, and digitization, in order to ensure its preservation and accessibility.
Its goals and functions are those typical of a specialized library: the preservation, research, and dissemination of its collections. All of this is aimed at supporting learning, teaching, research, and other activities related to the university environment, while ensuring a broad bibliographic and documentary foundation.
The series focuses on topics related to the field of libraries and archives, as well as librarians and archivists. With it, we aim to give a voice to all those interested in the world of books and documents, primarily by showcasing the holdings of the library of the Fundación Universitaria Española through annotated catalogs and specialized studies. For this reason, we target both students and researchers —and, of course, all bibliophiles— with the goal of offering valuable reference tools.
Series Editor
ISABEL BALSINDE (Fundación Universitaria Española)
Scientific Advisory Board
JEAN-DOMINIQUE MELLOT (Bibliothèque Nationale de France)
CONCEPCIÓN MENDO CARMONA (Universidad Complutense)
ISABEL RUIZ ELVIRA (Biblioteca Nacional)
AGUSTÍN TORREBLANCA LÓPEZ (Archivo del Tribunal de Cuentas)
ELENA ZAMORA (Instituto de Lexicografía de la Real Academia Española)
This series emerged as a result of the arrival at the Fundación of the documentary archive of the Government of the Spanish Second Republic in exile, which came from Paris in 1979. It was the outcome of an agreement signed by the President of the Republican government in exile, José Maldonado, and the cultural director of the FUE, Pedro Sainz Rodríguez. Shortly afterward, the series began with a summary catalog prepared by Professor Alicia Alted, which was published as the first volume in 1992, followed by several titles up until 2008.
Series Editors
JUAN ÁLVAREZ MORALES (Universitat Abat Oliba-CEU)
ISABEL BALSINDE (Fundación Universitaria Española)
Scientific Advisory Board
ALICIA ALTED (UNED)
MATILDE EIROA (Universidad Carlos III)
RICARDO MARTÍN DE LA GUARDIA (Universidad de Valladolid)
ENRIQUE MORADIELLOS (Universidad de Extremadura, Real Academia de la Historia)
The Bibliographic Information Service handles all types of inquiries from both in-person and remote users, regarding the library and its operations as well as its collections and holdings. It guides users and helps them meet their information needs.
The library has a Reading Room and a Reference Room. Both rooms are equipped with power outlets for laptops and Wi-Fi access.
The reference room offers the entire collection (over 2,000 titles) in open access, organized according to the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC). The collection includes general and specialized bibliographies, library and archive catalogs, directories, dictionaries, and specialized works in library science and information science. It is updated year after year with the goal of building a specialized library that serves as support and reference for researchers.
The room is equipped with a photocopier, a microfilm reader, and a computer to access our bibliographic catalog.
Reading room:
From January to May, and from October to December:
Monday to Thursday: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
In June, July, and September:
Monday to Thursday: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Access to Specialized Collections:
Monday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
The library will remain closed during the month of August.
To consult the general collections, it is sufficient to provide proof of university student or graduate status.
To access the special collections (old repository), proof of research status or doctoral studies is required. This must be supported by a letter of introduction addressed to the Library Director and accompanied by a completed request form. An appointment must be scheduled in advance (by phone or email).
No home loans are available.
The publication of any reproduction of our holdings must include a citation of the source:
Fundación Universitaria Española. Library.
Additionally, the researcher commits to depositing at least one printed copy of their publication in the library, which will become part of the Fundation’s bibliographic collection. Reproduction is allowed for all documents whose physical condition or legal status permits it.
CONTACT
Library Director
Isabel Balsinde (biblio@fuesp.com)
Reader Services
Pilar Benito (lectores@fuesp.com)
Publication Exchange
Juana María Cañizares (intercambios@fuesp.com)
The Library of the Fundación Universitaria Española holds a valuable bibliographic collection specialized in the humanities.
Through this application, we offer access to our catalog, allowing you to carry out your searches through our website as well.
Publicamos el libro de Alicia Sánchez titulado Cartilla para catalogar. Esta publicación constituye una herramienta imprescindible para quienes se inician en la apasionante aventura de estudiar
Esta es una biografía del que fue el último presidente del consejo de ministros del Gobierno de la Segunda República en el exilio, centrada en
