Books, libraries and archives

The data collected by the Bookshop Observatory 2021 reflect the strong link that Castilla y León has maintained historically, and to this day, with the world of books and literature. According to this report, Castilla y León is the third autonomous community in terms of bookshop density. The number of bookshops in Castilla y León is 10.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of 6.8.

Of particular relevance in this regard is Spain's first Book Village, the town with the highest number of bookshops per inhabitant: the historic and medieval town of Urueña. Book lovers will find a small paradise here and enjoy, in addition to its bookshops and museums, many other attractions, such as its rich heritage and one of the best views of the landscapes of Tierra de Campos..

Urueña, Valladolid. Castilla y León welcomes you!

In addition, the ‘Pueblos literarios de Castilla y León’  (‘Literary villages of Castilla y León’) cultural programme will be launched in 2021, enabling literary activities to be scheduled each year, during the summer months, in a selected municipality in the participating provinces, thus contributing to its cultural revitalisatio

Another resource dedicated to books in Castilla y León is the Fadrique de Basilea Book Museum, located in the city of Burgos, which features the extraordinary facsimile recreation of the codices and books that have left their mark on history.

The Castilla y León Library Network, which includes more than 300 libraries, doubles the figures of any other autonomous community in terms of number of visitors, active users, loans, bibliographic acquisitions... It also offers online lending services for books, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers, eBiblio, and streaming services for films, television programmes and series, documentaries and short films at CineCyL. CineCyL.

Also remarkable is the work of the Castilla y León Archives System, responsible for the conservation, enrichment and dissemination of documents in order to guarantee citizens' rights and to serve as a source of information for administrative management and research. In addition to the on-site services, it has a wide variety of online services, as well as virtual exhibitions and tours of the archives.