National institutions
It is the oldest cultural institution in the country and its main heritage bibliographic center. Its mission is to collect, preserve and disseminate various bibliographic materials, printed materials, audiovisual records, scores, manuscripts, maps, photographs, magazines, newspapers and digital files, which are a fundamental part of the Chilean cultural heritage.
The National Library annually receives more than 300 thousand in-person users and nearly 2 million queries in its rooms. Provides online access to the bibliographic catalog, reference information, guided tours, home loans, bibliographic material for the blind, among others. In addition, it offers services through the Internet, including Online Librarian, Chilean Memory and Chile for Children.
It was founded on September 14, 1830 by the French naturalist Claudio Gay, being one of the oldest museums in America. Its mission is to generate knowledge and appreciation of Chile's natural and cultural heritage through memorable experiences.
Since 1876, the museum has occupied the neoclassical-style building in Parque Quinta Normal in Santiago, which was built by the French architect Paul Lathoud for the First International Exhibition held in 1875.
It was founded on September 18, 1880, with the name National Museum of Paintings and was installed on the upper floors of the National Congress. Later, a competition was called to build a building to house the museum and to be a training place for Chilean artists. The project of the architect Emilio Jecquier was selected, and the Museum and the School of Fine Arts were officially inaugurated with a great International Exhibition, on September 21, 1910, an act inserted in the Celebrations of the Centennial of the Independence of Chile.
The National Museum of Fine Arts houses Chilean and foreign works from colonial times to the present day, including paintings, sculptures, engravings, drawings, photographs and multimedia.
It was created on May 2, 1911 within the framework of the celebrations of the Centennial of the Independence of Chile, and since 1982 it has been located in the Palacio de la Real Audiencia of 1808, former seat of the colonial government and first Government Palace.
This museum seeks to provide the community with access to knowledge and recreation of the country's history, so that it is recognized through the collection, conservation, research and dissemination of the tangible and intangible heritage that constitutes the historical memory of Chile.
Museum, Library and Archive Systems
The National Museum System aims to contribute to the effective and efficient management of museums, provide them with technical advice, contribute to their development and promote coordination and collaboration between public and private museums.[5].
Some of the following public museums depend on the System:[11].
The National Public Library System is an organization that aims to provide technical advice and training; and promote, disseminate, develop, strengthen and coordinate the group of public libraries that comprise it, promoting their creation and development.[5].
The regional libraries of Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Santiago, Maule, Los Lagos and Aysén, the Bibliometro program with 20 lending points in the Santiago Metro network and the Bibliotrén" program located in the gardens of the National Library, the Biblioredes program (bridging the digital divide) and other services that seek to bring reading to diverse audiences depend on this system.[12].
The National Archives System is made up of the National Archive of Chile, the regional archives and other private archives that are voluntarily integrated into the system. Its objective is to supervise the application of the administrative and technical policies and standards for the operation of the files that make up said system.[5].
The National Historical Archive, the National Administration Archive and the regional archives of Tarapacá and Araucanía depend on it.[13].
Other institutions
The Diego Barros Arana Research Center of SERPAT, created in 1990, has the functions of developing research of the highest level in the areas of History and Social Sciences; promote the publication of monographs and collections of sources that, together with highlighting cultural heritage, offer new interpretations of the historical trajectory and Chilean social reality; and develop extension activities that make their work and that of SERPAT researchers and professionals known to the academic community.
Created on October 1, 1982, the National Conservation and Restoration Center provides specialized services in conservation, restoration and research of the country's cultural heritage. It currently has areas of Archaeology, Monuments, Paper, Painting, Analysis, Visual Documentation and the Heritage Geoinformation Unit.
In 1834, the first Chilean copyright law was published, establishing a relationship between registry work and the National Library. Since 1929, this Intellectual Property Registry has been part of the National Cultural Heritage Service (SERPAT), previously the Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums. The Department of Intellectual Rights is responsible for promoting and strengthening the protection of copyright and related rights, thereby contributing to the formation, development and maintenance of a national culture of respect for intellectual property rights over literary, artistic and scientific works.