Following the resignation due to health issues presented by Alberto Manguel, Elsa Barber (who served as deputy director), She became the first woman to direct the National Library.

The confirmation was made by Pablo Avelluto, Minister of Culture of the Nation through his personal account on the social network Twitter.

By that same route, The official explained that the reasons that led to Manguel's departure were health reasons.. “On medical advice, my dear and admired friend Alberto Manguel leaves the Directorate of our National Library. He leaves behind him an extraordinary management”, wrote the head of the National Culture area.

Meanwhile, Barber (65), had been in the position temporarily between March and June 2016 and from 2007 held the position of deputy director.

Graduate in Library Science, He was in charge of the Department of Library Science and Information Science of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), entity in which she is also a professor of that career.