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In this reflection on two centuries of the BNL/BNP's existence, it is important to highlight some foundational aspects of its functioning, which has been characterised by the contributions of individuals with backgrounds in historical and literary knowledge, combined with practical skills in archiving and librarianship essential for the effective administration of the National Library. The management of successive incorporations of works from religious orders, including paper records and paintings, is documented by the first directors of the BNL, notably José Feliciano de Castilho. In his report, Castilho mentions a vast collection of 991 canvases, most of which were later destroyed due to their poor condition. Throughout various relocations in search of a more suitable space for this type of heritage, the BNL retained only portraits of personalities connected to the literary world. These portraits were the subject of reports by several directors up until the end of the monarchy. After the Republic was proclaimed, the majority of these portraits were sent to the Academy of Fine Arts in Lisbon but returned to the National Library a few years later (1915) under the intervention of the Inspector General, Júlio Dantas.
In the course of his duties as Inspector of Erudite Libraries and Archives, Júlio Dantas made several significant interventions, notably in relation to the incorporation service and the creation of a Book Sanitisation and Disinfection Station at the National Library of Lisbon (BNL) in 1914. This measure proved insufficient, as evidenced by the images presented by Jaime Cortesão, showing the deplorable state of the BNL's collection, destroyed by insects due to inadequate conservation conditions, leading him to call for a suitable room for public reading at the National Library. Despite Dantas' consistent and enduring efforts, the desired results were not achieved, and the logistical and organisational problems of the country's primary library persisted for decades.
The issue of public reading and the National Library's role in this matter divided the intellectual community into two distinct groups: those advocating for the full opening of the BNL, including the first republican director, Faustino da Fonseca, along with Bettencourt Ataíde and Álvaro Vicente Lial (BNL librarian), and those favouring the separation between the scholarly and popular, albeit with differing plans and projects, such as Júlio Dantas and Raúl Proença.
