Libraries in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a decentralised library system.
On the one hand, there is the National System of Libraries of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, which oversees the National Library and public libraries.
The Department of School Libraries of the Ministry of Education overlooks country’s libraries of educational sector.
By law, each university (public or private) must have its own network of libraries. The most recognised are academic libraries of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), the National University (UNA), the State Distance University (UNED) and the Autonomous University of Central America (UACA).
On the other hand, each organisation or public or private institution has its own specialised library. The most recognised are libraries of the Central Bank, the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), the National Institution of Women (INAMU), and the National Library of Health and Social Security (BINASSS).
In addition, the Municipality of San José maintains its own system of municipal libraries consisting of seven libraries distributed among its districts and localities.
The only association of librarians in the country is Costa Rican Association of Librarians (Colegio de Profesionales en Bibliotecología de Costa Rica, COPROBI). The main objective of COPROBI is professional support of its members, the continuous updating and dignification of the profession.
There is no entity in Costa Rica that takes care of or finances libraries in a centralised manner. Each ministry or institution has its own regulations and its own funding.
The priorities of libraries in Costa Rica are education, access to information, information and technological literacy, promotion of reading and social development.
Library systems of different library types (public, school, university) have recently been able to link and make plans and projects together, especially in the area of reading promotion and copyright.
A section for libraries was included in the National Development Plan of the Ministry of Education as a public policy seeking the modernisation and transformation of libraries in the educational sector. It is an important achievement increasing the visibility of libraries of the educational sector which previously were not visible.
Library data
Contextual data
Population
Population Growth
Proportion of Population Younger than 15
Proportion of Population Older than 64
Population Density
people per sq km
Population Growth
Access to Electricity
Internet Users
Female Internet Users
Male Internet Users
GDP per capita
Poverty Rate
2011 PPP
Inequality
2011 PPP
Unemployment
Inactive Youth
2011 PPP
Education Spending
% of GDP
Adult Literacy Rate
% of people age 15+
Female Adult Literacy
% of GDP
Male Adult Literacy
% of people age 15+
Female Youth Literacy
% of GDP
Male Youth Literacy
% of people age 15+
Research Spending
% of GDP
Researchers
% of GDP
Research Spending
% of GDP
Library data
|
Library type |
Total |
National |
Academic |
Public |
Community |
School |
Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Libraries (Service Points)
1,088
Library service point is a fixed or mobile facility through which library provides a service to its users. Central libraries, branch libraries, mobile libraries, and external service points located in different geographical locations and managed by one administrative unit are all each individual service points. Number of libraries is the total number of central/main libraries, branch libraries, external service points and mobile libraries. |
1,088 2019 |
1 2019 |
74 2018 |
62 2019 |
7 2019 |
944 2019 |
— |
|
Main Libraries
62
Central/main library is usually part or those parts of an administrative unit where the main administrative functions and the important parts of the library collection and services are located. An administrative unit comprising several branch libraries does not necessarily include a central library. |
62 2019 |
1 2019 |
— |
61 2019 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Branch Libraries
0
Branch library is a part of a larger administrative unit providing, in separate quarters, a service for a particular user group (e.g. children, faculties) or for a locally defined clientele. Institute, departmental and other affiliated libraries are included. Mobile libraries and external service points are excluded. |
0 2019 |
0 2019 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
External Service Points
0
External service point is a point away from library premises at which a certain service is regularly offered to users. This includes places within a locality at which library material is deposited for informal circulation to a restricted group of users but without other library services, for example, old people’s homes, community centres, collections for hospital patients. Mobile libraries and their stops are not counted as external service points. |
0 2019 |
0 2019 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Mobile Libraries
1
Mobile library is a library, sometimes a division of a public library, using transport means to provide documents and services directly to users as an alternative to access on library premises. |
1 2019 |
0 2019 |
— |
1 2019 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Libraries (Administrative Units)
1,013
Administrative unit is any independent library, or group of libraries, under a single directorate or a single administration. The term “independent” does not imply legal or financial independence but only that the library is a recognisably separate unit, typically within a larger organisation. The administrative unit can be a single library or a larger organisation, typically containing a central/main library, branch libraries and administrative functions. |
1,013 2019 |
1 2019 |
— |
61 2019 |
7 2019 |
944 2019 |
— |
|
Libraries with Internet Access
1,011
Libraries (Service Points) that provides internet access from at least one workstation available to the public regardless of whether access is free, and/or provides a wireless network allowing users to connect to the Internet. |
1,011 2019 |
1 2019 |
74 2018 |
61 2019 |
7 2019 |
868 2019 |
— |
|
Full-Time Staff
1,416
Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff are all library employees who work for the library in return for payment. It includes professional staff, qualified staff, project staff and assistants. Other staff (library employees who work in security and on domestic duties, for example, cleaners, porters, caretakers and catering staff) and volunteers are excluded. |
1,416 2019 |
35 2019 |
322 2018 |
184 2019 |
56 2019 |
819 2019 |
— |
|
Volunteers
99
Volunteer is a person working on library tasks without payment. In counting volunteers, the concept of headcount is used. |
99 2019 |
0 2019 |
29 2018 |
0 2019 |
70 2019 |
0 2019 |
— |
|
Registered Users
510,299
Registered user is a person or organisation registered with a library in order to use its collection and/or services within or away from the library. Users may be registered upon their request or automatically when enrolling in the institutions. |
510,299 2019 |
157,233 2019 |
128,100 2018 |
49,696 2019 |
74,000 2019 |
101,270 2019 |
— |
|
Physical Visits
1.3 M
Physical visit is a person (individual) entering the library premises. |
1,295,601 2019 |
117,038 2019 |
— |
974,192 2019 |
103,101 2019 |
101,270 2019 |
— |
|
Physical Loans
629,464
Physical loan is a direct lending or delivery transaction of an item in physical form. Physical loans include loans of items in non-electronic form (e.g. books) and loans electronic documents on a physical carrier (e.g. CD-ROM). |
629,464 2019 |
74,789 2019 |
280,296 2018 |
157,112 2019 |
29,101 2019 |
88,166 2019 |
— |
|
eBook Loans
10,549
eBook is a non-serial digital document, licenced or not, where searchable text is prevalent, and similar to a print book (monograph). eBooks can be lent to users either on portable devices (eBook readers) or by transmitting the contents to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period. |
10,549 2018 |
— |
10,549 2018 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Audio Book Loans
—
Audio book (or talking book) is a sound recording of readings of a book, magazine, or newspaper, usually designed for use by visually impaired people. Audio books can be lent to users either on a physical carrier or other device, or by transmitting the content to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Downloads
4.5 M
Download is a content unit that is successfully requested from a library-provided online service or other internet service (e.g. database, electronic serial or digital document). |
4,533,735 2019 |
157,233 2019 |
4,219,390 2018 |
157,112 2019 |
— |
— |
— |
Contextual data
|
Population |
Costa Rica |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Population Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates. |
5,129,910 2024 |
662,186,388 2024 |
8,141,808,945 2024 |
|
Proportion of Population Younger than 15 Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population. |
27.3% 2024 |
33.3% 2024 |
38.0% 2024 |
|
Proportion of Population Older than 64 Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population. |
17.7% 2024 |
14.5% 2024 |
15.7% 2024 |
|
Population Growth Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. |
0.5% 2024 |
1 2024 |
1.0% 2024 |
|
Population Density Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes. |
100.0% 2023 |
32.6% 2022 |
61.6% 2022 |
|
Urban Population Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division. |
79.3% 2024 |
81.3% 2024 |
57.6% 2024 |
|
Information Infrastructure |
Costa Rica |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet Users Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
85.4% 2023 |
81.7% 2024 |
71.2% 2024 |
|
Female Internet Users This indicator refers to female individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
85.5% 2023 |
81.3% 2024 |
68.2% 2024 |
|
Male Internet Users This indicator refers to male individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
- |
81.3% |
- |
|
Access to Electricity Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources. |
100.0% 2023 |
98.4% 2023 |
91.6% 2023 |
|
Economy, Poverty, and Employment |
Costa Rica |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GDP per Capita This indicator provides values for gross domestic product (GDP) expressed in current international dollars, converted by purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs account for the different price levels across countries and thus PPP-based comparisons of economic output are more appropriate for comparing the output of economies and the average material well-being of their inhabitants than exchange-rate based comparisons. Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This series has been linked to produce a consistent time series to counteract breaks in series over time due to changes in base years, source data and methodologies. Thus, it may not be comparable with other national accounts series in the database for historical years. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. The PPP conversion factor is a currency conversion factor and a spatial price deflator. PPPs convert different currencies to a common currency and, in the process of conversion, equalize their purchasing power by eliminating the differences in price levels between countries, thereby allowing volume or output comparisons of GDP and its expenditure components. |
30,063 2024 |
22,880.9 2024 |
24,405 2024 |
|
Poverty Rate Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions. |
1.3% 2024 |
4.5% 2024 |
10.3% 2024 |
|
Inequality Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality. |
45.8% 2024 |
0.0% |
- |
|
Unemployment Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country. |
6.9% 2024 |
5.5% 2024 |
6.2% 2021 |
|
Inactive Youth The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive). percentage of youth population |
18.3% 2024 |
18.4% 2024 |
- |
|
Education and Literacy |
Costa Rica |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Education Spending General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments. percentage of GDP |
6.2% 2021 |
3.8% 2023 |
3.5% 2023 |
|
Adult Literacy Rate Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of people ages 15 and above |
97.4% 2011 |
3.8% 2023 |
87.7% 2024 |
|
Female Adult Literacy Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of females ages 15 and above |
94.1% 2018 |
94.7% 2024 |
84.6% 2024 |
|
Male Adult Literacy Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of males ages 15 and above |
94.1% 2018 |
95.2% 2024 |
90.9% 2024 |
|
Female Youth Literacy Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of females ages 15-24 |
99.6% 2018 |
98.9% 2024 |
92.0% 2024 |
|
Male Youth Literacy Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of males ages 15-24 |
99.0% 2011 |
98.5% 2024 |
94.1% 2024 |
|
Research and Innovation |
Costa Rica |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Research Spending Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. percentage of GDP |
0.3% 2022 |
0.6% 2020 |
2.7% 2022 |
|
Researchers The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. per million people |
462 2022 |
582.7 2014 |
1,516 2018 |
|
Scientific Articles Article counts refer to publications from a selection of conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals from Scopus in science and engineering fields, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Taxonomy of Disciplines. fractional count |
711 2022 |
130,281.9 2022 |
3,338,192 2022 |
National Library Associations
COPROBI is a professional association recognized nationally and internationally consisting of groups of responsible and committed librarians to provide society with greater and better opportunities to access sources, resources and information services. There are around 1,500 members from different types of libraries.
National Library
The National Library is responsible for collecting and conserving the national bibliographic heritage. It is the depositary institution of three copies of every publication made in the country (according to Printing Law and Law of Copyright and Related Rights).
Policy Making Institutions
The Ministry is responsible for the National Library and Public Libraries System. Through its Directorate of the Library System (SINABI) is the governing body of the regulations and administrative and regulatory provisions for public libraries and the National Library. The SINABI is organized in the National Directorate of SINABI, Headquarters of the National Library and Headquarters of Public Libraries (67 public libraries).
The Ministry issues policies on school libraries in Costa Rica through the Department of School Libraries, which designs programs, plans, and regulations to be applied in all Costa Rican school libraries. Within the 2015-2018 National Development Plan proposed as a Public Policy, provisions were established for the modernization and financing of libraries of educational sector, seeking the transformation of libraries and resource centers for learning (BIBLIOCRA) and the incorporation of technologies in the educational libraries. At the moment, 40% of the educational libraries became BIBLIOCRA.
Library Support Organisations
SINABI is a network of libraries spread throughout the country, consisting of the National Library and the Network of Public Libraries; it also has a Portal (www.sinabi.go.cr) and a Bibliobus. The SINABI is organized in the National Directorate of SINABI, Headquarters of the National Library and Headquarters of Public Libraries (67 public libraries). SINABI also administers the ISBN National Agency and the ISSN National Agency.
It establish policies, programs, projects and actions aimed at the development of the National Library System that promote education, research, recreation and national culture for the efficient provision of services.
National Policy for Libraries
This document sets out the relevant rules, at ministerial level, to encourage the reading process at national level. In addition, it enhances language skills and makes it possible to strengthen the development of writing in the student community.
The plan establishes objectives, strategies and financing models for development and modernisation of libraries of the educational sector (transforming libraries into resource centres for learning).
Library Law
The National System of Libraries is created by decree N° 23382-C, constituted by the General Direction of the SINABI, the National Library Miguel Obregón and the Direction of Public Libraries with 57 official and semi-official public libraries. This network of libraries is distributed in the seven provinces of the country.
Legal Deposit Law
According to law, documentary materials, published or produced in Costa Rica, and those published or produced abroad, related to Costa Rica or written by Costa Ricans, must be deposited in the National Library.
In compliance with the regulations those materials are: Books, brochures, and all types of documents published or produced in printed or electronic format, new editions or all publications, and reprints with any change in content or presentation; Periodic or continuous publications: magazines, newspapers, yearbooks, reports, journals, newsletters, in printed or electronic form; Graduate and postgraduate thesis in electronic format; Folding and printed sheets for historical, cultural and educational dissemination; Sheet music; Photographs; Posters, cultural, historical, and educational postcards; Maps, atlases, marina, aeronautical and celestial maps; Audio documents (CD, audio etc.); Audio-visual documents (DVD, etc.); Calendars, almanacs with educational, cultural and historical topics; Documents produced in electronic format for educational, cultural, historical purposes; and other materials.
The National Library collects, preserves, and disseminates the Costa Rican documentary heritage. The Legal Deposit is the legal mechanism through which the National Library acquires the Costa Rican national documentary heritage, in order to organise it, to guarantee its preservation and conservation, and to facilitate access to information for current and future generations. The material is available both in person and online to all types of users, especially to researchers.
Copyright Law & Library Exceptions and Limitations
Costa Rican libraries can lend, copy and preserve their documentary collection for academic and informative purposes; this is according to the Law about creation of libraries in the country (Ley de creación de las Bibliotecas del país).
Libraries do not have the power to pay for the use of works; except for the subscription of periodicals.
The Copyright Law doesn’t include digital use in library services. It is not established in the Law 6683 to make and share accessible format copies of works for people with print disabilities. An amendment to the Law 6683 that includes free access to digital formats is urgently needed. At the moment, there is no project to amend the Law 6683.
Professional Qualification Requirements
The position of librarian in Costa Rica requires at least a bachelor’s degree from university. Three public and one private university offer the librarianship education. In the labour market, both in the public and private sectors, it is required to have at least the bachelor’s degree. Generally, librarians are trained in bachelor or master level degree; the wage will be different based on the level of the academic degree. Also, to work in the profession, librarians must register at the Costa Rican Association of Librarians, COPROBI (Colegio de Profesionales en Bibliotecología de Costa Rica), which is the body that oversees the legal practice of the profession in Costa Rica.
Education
The Costa Rican librarianship training is in the hands of three public universities: The University of Costa Rica (Universidad de Costa Rica), the National University (Universidad Nacional), and the State Distance University (La Universidad Estatal a Distancia). There is also the Autonomous University of Central America (Universidad Autónoma de Centro América, which is private. These four universities offer different aspects of librarianship: Library Science and Information Science with emphasis on school libraries; Library and Documentation; Librarianship and Information and Communication Technologies with emphasis on school libraries and resource centres for learning. The private university offers it at the bachelor level. The preparation of librarians in Costa Rica is at the excellent level, given that the academic offer fits the labour and educational requirements demanded by the Costa Rican society.
Professional Publications
e-Information Sciences is a free, open-access scientific-academic electronic journal which belongs to the School of Librarianship and Information Sciences of the University of Costa Rica. Its objective is to disseminate research in the different disciplines related to the information sciences: librarianship, documentation, information and communication technology, research, statistical analysis and bibliometrics, archives, and information systems. Its target audience is researchers, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, professionals in the area of information sciences as well as the general public interested in related topics.
Libraries Magazine is an academic journal of the School of Librarianship, Documentation and Information of the National University of Costa Rica. Its main objective is the dissemination of scientific knowledge resulting from research carried out by professionals in librarianship, documentation, information and related subjects. The journal is published every six months in the following periods: January – June, and July – December, with the methodology of continuous publication. The articles are received throughout the year, as well as editorial efforts for publication. It is aimed at professionals in the areas of librarianships, teachers, practicing librarians and students in training.
Professional Events
Every year in September, Costa Rican Association of Librarians (COPROBI) is organising the days of professional training for its members. In this event, specialists, both national and international, are getting acquainted with latest updates in various important professional topics. The event usually is two days long during which various lectures, conferences, workshops, seminars and exhibitions of successful projects are presented.
Library Location Resources