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How to get a card

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To use the reading rooms and consult the collections, you must have a card or a temporary pass. The age of access is eighteen. Children under the age of eighteen can access if they are doing high school research work. The BC offers two types of access:

  • Temporary Pass for eight days or three months. For occasional consultation of reference works and of the modern collection. Cannot be renewed.
  • Reader card: It gives access to the whole collection excepting some few very special documents. It is valid for five years and it can be renewed. It's free.

 You can apply for the card by filling in the form. We'll provide you with a barcode and password so you can reserve your documents before you arrive.

To obtain or renew a reader's card, you must come to the BC, prove your identity with your ID card or passport and provide your usual residence address if it does not match your ID card or passport.

In the event that the card has expired and you want to use the online services of the library, you can process the renewal by phone [+34 93 270 23 00 (ext. 84013158)] or email [carnet@bnc.cat]. This renewal will be considered provisional until it takes effect in person at the Library access desk.

Personal belongings must be left in the self-service lockers at the entrance.

With the BC card you can enter  the libraries of the Consortium of University Libraries of Catalonia and use the Consortium Loan service (PUC). See the regulations.

Agreement on the mutual recognition of researcher cards from the National Library of Spain and regional libraries

The reader’s card of the Biblioteca de Catalunya guarantees as a researcher in the Biblioteca Nacional de España and in the regional or national libraries of the Autonomous Communities. In the same way, the Biblioteca de Catalunya recognizes the cards of other regional and national libraries in Spain to obtain the card of the Biblioteca de Catalunya.