Because of the information content that they hold libraries are considered important centers of memory. Thus, in order to start a reflection on the peculiarities of libraries as a cultural heritage an analysis of libraries listed by IPHAN was undertaken. Also, we attempted to recognize the official justifications that lead the buildings or the collections to be listed. Questionnaires were sent and applied. It was detected that the criteria for the listing process were primarily historical and architectural values, and the collection was listed as a consequence.
Historical Heritage; Library; Special Collections