The World’s 100 Best Libraries · 2026
The Best Libraries in Latin America
4 of the 100 libraries in The World’s 100 Best Libraries 2026 are in Latin America, in 3 countries. The highest placed is Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at number 14 in the world. National Library of El Salvador in San Salvador, El Salvador (number 49) and National Library of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (number 68) follow.
Brazil
Both are in downtown Rio de Janeiro: the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, founded in 1837, with a reading hall of floor-to-ceiling shelves under a glass roof, and the National Library of Brazil, where visitors see the entrance hall and the staircase.
El Salvador and Argentina
The National Library of El Salvador in San Salvador is a new building of seven floors. The Mariano Moreno National Library in Buenos Aires is a Brutalist building in Recoleta; its reading rooms are closed to visitors.
Libraries
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N° 14
Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Historic library
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N° 49
National Library of El Salvador
San Salvador, El Salvador
National library -
N° 68
National Library of Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
National library -
N° 87
Mariano Moreno National Library
Buenos Aires, Argentina
National library
Best by region
- The NordicsDeichman BjørvikaOslo, NorwayN° 2
- EuropeState Hall of the Austrian National LibraryVienna, AustriaN° 1
- AsiaIshikawa Prefectural LibraryKanazawa, JapanN° 18
- The Middle EastQatar National LibraryDoha, QatarN° 3
- North AmericaSeattle Central LibrarySeattle, United StatesN° 10
- Latin AmericaRoyal Portuguese Cabinet of ReadingRio de Janeiro, BrazilN° 14
- OceaniaState Library VictoriaMelbourne, AustraliaN° 12