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Despite public recognition, legitimised by the involvement of prominent intellectual figures of that era, such as the visit by the Marquise of Alorna (16/10/1797), the National Library appeared to be compromised in its continuity due to the requirement to reconstruct the erudite library of Ajuda at the expense of its own collection, and to the evident competition from the Torre do Tombo Archive. The efforts of António Ribeiro dos Santos’s successors, at the forefront of the Royal Public Library until the end of the Civil War, were crucial in ensuring the growth of its collection and the extension of its opening hours, despite the challenges with which they were confronted.
Similar to his predecessor, Monsignor Joaquim José Ferreira Gordo expressed a willingness to personally contribute to the Library’s collection, becoming a donator, but on the condition that he would not be removed from his position. However, this effectively came to be and he subsequently diverted the collection to the (Royal) Academy of Sciences. This was one of the instances where the paths of this scientific institution, as well as that of the Geographical Society, intersected with that of the National Library. The role played by J. J. Ferreira Gordo was most noteworthy in organising the document collection of the Academy of Sciences, particularly in the research conducted at Torre do Tombo and other national archives, with the exception of the Alentejo region, which was controlled by Friar Manuel do Cenáculo Villas Boas.
The collection of the National Library was largely composed of the inheritance of the defunct convents, which began to be integrated in 1834, during the brief tenure of Joaquim Larcher. This process continued in a more structured manner under Vasco Pinto de Sousa Coutinho Balsemão, through the establishment of the DLEC service to this effect, based in the Convent of São Francisco building, where the National Library of Lisbon, as designated by the Decree of 7 December 1836, began to operate.
The directorships of José Feliciano de Castilho Barreto e Noronha (1843-1847), alternated by the brief administration of António de Oliveira Marreca (1846)—an expert in economic affairs and a former pupil of Alexandre Herculano in historical romance—were responsible for defining the action and development plan of the National Library. These efforts were geared towards expanding and organising the collection, involving an acquisition strategy funded by the sale of duplicate works and the subsidies received, considering the availability presented at auctions.
