▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁exhibition ▁areas ▁and ▁technical / admin istr ative ▁rooms , ▁the ▁museum ▁poss esses ▁labor ator ies ▁of ▁conservation ▁and ▁rest oration ▁and ▁stud ios ▁for ▁pl aster ▁m old ing . ▁ ▁The ▁museum ▁library ▁special izes ▁in ▁ 1 9 th - ▁and ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁art . ▁Besides ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 9 , 0 0 0 ▁titles , ▁it ▁compr ises ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁audi ovis ual ▁items , ▁icon ographic ▁and ▁text ual ▁documents , ▁rare ▁books , ▁newsp apers , ▁mag az ines , ▁catalog ues , ▁and ▁other ▁materials ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁institution ' s ▁history , ▁from ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Academy ▁to ▁now ad ays . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁permanent ▁and ▁temporary ▁exhib itions , ▁the ▁museum ▁organ ises ▁educational ▁activities ▁for ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁and ▁art ▁education ▁programs ▁for ▁teachers , ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁diff using ▁and ▁grant ing ▁a ▁better ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁cultural ▁her itage . ▁ ▁Col lections ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 8 , ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁works ▁of ▁art ▁has ▁been ▁enorm ously ▁expanded ▁and ▁now ▁has ▁around ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁items . ▁The ▁collections ▁include ▁painting , ▁sculpt ure , ▁drawing ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁decor ative ▁arts , ▁furn iture , ▁folk ▁art ▁and ▁African ▁art . ▁ ▁Brazil ian ▁art ▁ ▁P aint ings ▁The ▁Muse u ▁Nacional ▁de ▁Bel as ▁Ar tes