One of the most important scientific libraries in the country, the Central Library of the National Museum/UFRJ is expected to be delivered in March, after undergoing the biggest renovation and expansion work in its history, budgeted at R$ 20.6 million. 
The library has a collection of more than 500,000 volumes, including rare works that belonged to the imperial family. It is located in the Botanical Garden of Quinta da Boa Vista, in the north of Rio de Janeiro, and will have more than 1,200 square meters of usable area.
The information is contained in the balance of actions of the Museu Nacional Vive project, released this week by the institution. The structure of the library will be reinforced with new multipurpose rooms, new offices for professors, an auditorium with 120 seats and modern data systems, cameras and fire prevention.
The building will also house the Francisca Keller Library, specialized in anthropology, the Documentation Center for Indigenous Languages (CELIN) and the Archive and Memory Section of the National Museum/UFRJ (Semear).
imperial family palace
Since the fire at the Paço de São Cristóvão, in September 2018, the work to recover the collection and restore the National Museum building has been pointing to the concentration of exhibitions in the palace, which was once the home of the imperial family, and the relocation of activities teaching and research for a campus exclusively dedicated to it.
O campus delivery is also scheduled for this year and will be located next to Quinta da Boa Vista, on a plot of 43,400 square meters, which has already housed the Museum’s administrative module since 2020.
Last year, work advanced to set up the Research departments, a new Visitors Center (National Museum Station) and the Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration. The latter had its construction completed in October 2022, and was planned to be the storage space and treatment of collections that will compose the museum’s new long-term exhibitions.
The palace, which was hit by flames in 2018, had the facade of its first block delivered last year, marking the celebration of the Bicentennial of Brazil’s Independence. This year, renovations will begin on the facades and roofs of blocks 2, 3 and 4.
Block 1, which includes the front façade of the palace, already draws the attention of visitors to Quinta da Boa Vista with its original painting, in ocher yellow, completely restored, and mortar replicas of the 30 original sculptures that stand out on the roof. The real pieces, made of Carrara marble, underwent restoration and will form part of the museum’s historical collection.
The complete delivery of the National Museum, with full reopening, is scheduled for the three-year period 2024/2027. The total budget reaches BRL 433.3 million, and the restoration of the palace is the part that requires the biggest investment – BRL 296.2 million.
Of the total foreseen in the budget, 61% have already been secured with federal, state and private resources. R$ 168 million still remain to be raised.-
