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The experience gained at the Torre do Tombo, where the inventorying of problems resulted in a report that would serve as a model for that which was to be prepared at the end of the first year in charge of the National Library (1844), highlighted concerns regarding space and the catalogue of records. Additionally, efforts were made to reinforce the control of the Legal Deposit (established 8 June 1796), quadrupling the number of works for the National Library. Attention was also given to the functioning of the reading room: the public, the works consulted, and the preferred hours.
José da Silva Mendes Leal, considered "one of the greatest prophets" of his literary generation (Inocêncio Francisco da Silva, Dicionário Bibliográfico vol. 5, pp. 127-133), also served twice as director of the National Library, alternating his directorship with his political position as a member of the Courts and representation in scientific and cultural associations.
During the interim period, the directorship of the National Library was held by José Canaes de Figueiredo Castelo Branco (1851-1857), author of historical monographs, including a work on Portugal's relations with Syria, developed on the basis of the Memórias da Real Academia de História de Madrid [Memoirs of the Royal Academy of History of Madrid], and research on the early history of the Iberian Peninsula. He also conducted biographical studies on individuals associated with the history of the National Library. Despite the specific challenges it experienced, the library saw significant growth, doubling the printed collections from the “Balanço” ["Appraisal"] in 1843 by V. Pinto Balsemão until the end of his tenure, reaching 147,000 volumes, not including those from the Depository of Libraries of Defunct Convents (DLEC), which accounted for an estimated similar total.
The composition of the National Library's collection was highly irregular, prompting an effort to inventory, catalogue, and assess all the documents. This task was undertaken by J. S. Mendes Leal during his second term, through a Commission appointed for this purpose, which mobilised librarians and bibliographers, known for compiling auction catalogues. This also facilitated a subsequent objective: promoting the sale of foreign language books (primarily in Spanish and Latin in particular—19,000 works), to invest in the purchase of new volumes for the National Library. Upon completion of the complex process of inventorying, cataloguing, and sale (in lots and by weight), the outcome was a significant reduction from the 183,000 works received in 1841 to the 13,000 remaining in the Depository by 1865.
