# Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno (Argentina): what an e-book author can and cannot get catalogued

Date: 2026-10-31 (skills harvest). Read live: bn.gov.ar and bn.gov.ar "Proyecto Enlace" details come from the library's own social posts (snippets only; the posts did not load for us).

## The facts
- **Legal deposit does not cover e-books.** The BNMM's own Bibliografía Nacional page states that the deposit law excludes periodicals, *ediciones de autor* and runs under 100 copies, and that "las publicaciones electrónicas directamente no están contempladas". So there is no legal route that makes the BNMM hold a digital-only title.
- The BNMM builds catalogue records to international standards (RCA2/AACR2, MARC21, ISBD, CDU) and encourages other Argentine libraries to copy them. A BNMM record would spread to other catalogues; that is the prize.
- **Donations policy (read):** the library particularly wants printed works published in Argentina, and **printed works published abroad by Argentine authors or about Argentina**. It does not take photocopies, damaged items or non-original recordings. Every donation needs approval from the Collections Development department, and accepted items can later be discarded or passed to other libraries.
  - Up to 10 copies: hand in at a counter (Mon-Fri 10-17) or post to Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno, Donaciones (DDC), Agüero 2502, C1425EID Buenos Aires.
  - 10-100 copies: send a list (title, author, publisher, place/year, ISBN if any) to [address kept in the project workspace] first.
- **Proyecto Enlace (2026):** the BNMM invited "autores y editoriales independientes de todo el país" to donate their titles into the national catalogue (BNMM Facebook/X posts, snippet; an independent publisher's video thanks the BN for listing their donated titles). "De todo el país" reads as Argentina-based; terms not checked.

## What this means
- A UK-made, digital-only Spanish title has **no BNMM route today**. A printed copy "about Argentina" published abroad does fit the stated donation policy, by post, up to 10 copies, approval required.
- The cheapest real route to an Argentine catalogue record is therefore a few printed copies, not the e-book. Print is an owner spend decision (print-on-demand + postage), so this is a proposal.
- An Argentine co-publisher or a Chubut Welsh association could bring the title in through Enlace if they hold it; that is a partnership, not a self-service form.

## Playbook
1. Do nothing now that costs money. Record the route.
2. If the owner ever approves a printed edition: post 1-2 copies with a one-page Spanish cover letter (what the book is, its link to the Welsh settlement in Chubut, that it is a donation with no conditions) to the DDC address; email [address kept in the project workspace] first with the one-line list.
3. Ask in the same email whether a PDF/EPUB can be accepted for the digital collection (not checked; the deposit page states electronic works are outside the law, not that donations are refused).
4. Track: search catalogo.bn.gov.ar for the title 8-12 weeks later; when a record exists, link it from the Spanish /ebooks/ page as a trust signal.

## How we apply it to Cedwyn
- Add one proposal to the after-framing queue: "BNMM catalogue record via printed donation (needs owner GO on a print run)".
- Draft (not send) the Spanish email to [address kept in the project workspace] asking whether a digital edition can be donated; HubSpot draft only, owner sends.
- Public wording if it is ever catalogued: "held at the Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno" only once the record is live; never imply endorsement.

## Sources
- bn.gov.ar (read)
- bn.gov.ar (read: legal deposit exclusions)
- facebook.com and x.com (Proyecto Enlace, snippet)