In 1984, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) established the Library Computerization Plan (PRIBIC), which began operating the following year with the goal of automating the books and journals held by the institution's libraries into a union catalog. From that moment, a process was set in motion that included the massive retrospective conversion of bibliographic holdings and the creation of authority records for subjects, entities, and authors. In a short time, the CSIC union catalog (CIRBIC) became a fundamental source of scientific information. In its early years, CIRBIC became the backbone of the CSIC libraries, fostering the definition of common working methods and the standardized delivery of library services. These coordination tasks are effectively undertaken by the group of professionals working at PRIBIC, which also handles the representation of CSIC libraries in professional settings and, especially, in relations with university libraries, fostering institutional collaboration to achieve common goals. All this activity led to CSIC libraries being recognized very early on as members of a network that operates in a decentralized manner with shared management and criteria. The evolution of CSIC libraries during the latter part of the 1980s paralleled the general transformation of libraries in Spain and worldwide.
From 1990 onwards, CSIC officially recognized the progress achieved by its libraries, transforming PRIBIC that year into the Library Coordination Unit (CBIC) with the primary objective of modernizing library services and maximizing resource utilization. The CSIC Library and Archives Network, a name that had been used for some time, thus reached a level that, during the following decade, would build upon its achievements and expand its lines of action. In 1998, at the initiative of the CBIC (Spanish National Research Council), the automation of several CSIC archives was launched, initiating a sustained effort over time. At the end of the 1990s, the emergence of new communication tools and, especially, the rise of the internet, fostered new avenues for work and development for CSIC libraries. Particularly important due to its significance was the incorporation of the first electronic journals, which paved the way for the implementation of electronic resources as a fundamental source of information for science. It was also during this period that progress was made in policies to streamline the acquisition of information resources, a trend that would become a fundamental element in the management of the CSIC Library and Archives Network's entire collection.
The transformation of the CSIC Library and Archives Network can be considered to have accelerated from the year 2000 onwards. From that point, in subsequent years, the presence of electronic journals and e-books became established among researchers, and new, more convenient and simpler ways of accessing information and providing library services were made available to users, not only in person but also remotely. In this regard, the launch of the CSIC Virtual Library, a single point of access to all available information resources, and the Information Provider Access Point (PAPI), which allows access to scientific information from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, are particularly noteworthy. During these years, two specific strategic plans (2006-2009 and 2010-2013) were approved, implying a unified and long-term management vision for the Network. In 2006, the CSIC signed the Berlin Declaration, adhering to open access policies. From that moment on, the CSIC Library and Archives Network became firmly involved in disseminating the science produced at the institution, culminating in the launch and rapid consolidation of an institutional repository (Digital.CSIC). In 2009, the Regulations for the CSIC State Agency Library and Archives Network were approved, clearly defining the Network's structure and operation and serving as a fundamental document for its subsequent development. Equally important was the 2010 approval of the CSIC Library and Archives Network's service charter, which demonstrated a full commitment to the quality policies promoted by the institution. Also during this period, the digitization policy for heritage collections held in CSIC libraries and archives was initiated, with the aim of making works and documents of great historical significance accessible as widely as possible.