In the mid-19th century began a period of modernization of the spanish libraries that included the reorganization of the National Library, the creation of a corps of Protocols and the implementation of the college of diplomacy. In this context of renewal is the creation of literature Prize, which was aimed at improving national repertory at a particularly troubling owing to the fragmentation of much of bibliographic heritage suffered after the spanish Civil war.

By Royal Decree of 3 december 1856 was created the Bibliography, which was developed in the rules of procedure of the National Library of 7 january 1857 and took place just three days later with the convening of the first contest which was published in la Gaceta. Over almost a century, the prize contributed decisively to the advancement of science in spain with bibliographic works as important as Catálogo biográfico del Teatro antiguo Español (Cayetano de la Barrera, 1859), Ensayo de una biblioteca española de libros raros y curiosos (Zarco del Valle y Sancho Rayón, 1861) or Los periódicos en la Guerra de la Independencia (1808-1814) (Gómez Imaz, 1908).

After a break of half a century, in 1995 the National Library reconvened literature prize, awarded by a jury composed of librarians and bibliógrafos. In 2002 were governed the foundations and characteristics of the Award for an order ECD/1946/2002 with a view to distinguish the best work in the field of bibliography hispánica. By 2022 updated regulatory bases award Order CUD/607/2022 to adapt it to the new forms of research in this field and the new technological environments in which it takes place.

In the evaluation of work submitted takes into account the following evaluation criteria:

• The importance and usefulness of the item.
• Completeness in the collection of material.
• The systematization of the investigations.
• The criteria for preparing exposed by the author.
• The methodology used.
• The rigour and accuracy of the bibliographic descriptions.
• Special relationship with the collections and/or history of the National library of Spain.