National Library of Panama, National library in Panama City, Panama.

The National Library of Panama, named after Ernesto J. Castillero, occupies a 5,000-square-metre building with four consultation levels in Omar Torrijos Recreational Park on Avenida Belisario Porras. It holds old newspapers, photographic material and Panamanian and universal literature, and runs a network of 59 public libraries across the country.

The library was founded in 1942 and began in a small space in downtown Panama City. In 1987 it moved to its current location, where it gained more room for growing collections.

The library holds a collection of Panamanian literature and local publications that readers can browse in person. Walking through the shelves, visitors find works by local authors gathered in one place in a way that is hard to find anywhere else.

The library is generally open on weekdays and accessible to the public. The reading rooms offer well-lit seats for reading or working, making both a short visit and a longer stay easy to manage.

The library operates under a legal deposit system, which means publishers in Panama are required to submit a copy of every new publication. Over time, this has built up a record of Panamanian publishing that no other place in the country holds in full.