The Naval Museum's library contains an extensive collection specialising in maritime history, with works on navigation and nautical science, astronomy, cosmography, shipbuilding, geography and travel by the most distinguished writers on these subjects, both Spanish and foreign.

The Museum's library is part of the Defence Libraries Network, whose comprehensive catalogue can be consulted for information on its holdings http://www.bibliodef.es , also included in the Collective Catalogue of Spanish Bibliographic Heritage of the Ministry of Culture.

It consists of 6 incunabula and some 27,000 volumes.

This collection preserves one of only three extant copies in Spain of the Libellus ysagogicus, a treatise on astrology written by Alchabitius (Venice, 1482). Also the Liber quadripartiti by Ptolemy (Venice, 1484), a version printed by Ratdolt (Venice, 1485) containing the Sphaera Mundi by Johannes de Sacrobosco, the Theoricae novae planetarum by Peuerbach, and Disputationes contra cremonensia deliramenta by Regiomontanus, in which each of the authors explained their conception of the universe. Other works are Kalendarium magistri, also by Regiomontanus (Augsburg, 1489), and the Tabulae astronomicae by Alphonse X the Wise (Venice, 1492). Finally, a second edition of Astrolabium planum in tabulis ascendens by Johannes Angelus (Venice, 1494).

The collection of rare books includes some 9,500 works published before 1901. The highlights are those produced by the Casa de la Contratación in Seville, the first treatises on shipbuilding and maritime law, as well as the major publications by the Spanish Navy during the 18th century and the different editions of foreign works of the period.

This collection comprises works of less than 50 pages, including miscellaneous documentation, pamphlets, offprints, legal provisions, etc. The old collection focuses mainly on legislative provisions covering the period between the 18th century and the 20th century, and it has some 6,000 documents. The modern collection contains an approximate total of 3,900 documents in 200 boxes.

Comprising a total of 350 titles of journals specialising in maritime and military history, published in 34 countries, 56 of which belong to publications that began in the 19th century.

The collection is completed by the modern holdings comprising works published from the 19th century to the present day. All of them are related to research into the Naval Museum's collections and related subjects of interest for the dissemination of maritime history.