- The historical BILE: 1877-1936
The historical Bulletin of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza began to be published four months after the foundation of the ILE, march 7, 1877. The head of the first issue reproduced article 15 of its statutes, which declares its political, religious and philisophical independence and proclaims the principle of freedom of scientific inquiry and exposition.
The historical BILE: had a dual purpose: to report on the progress of the Institution and to promote "the contemporary intellectual movement". It reviewed content from the main European and American magazines, and included texts translated or taken from leading European and American magazines or newspapers.
From 1889, its content was structured into three permanent sections: Pedagogy, dedicated to issues of teaching; Encyclopedia, which covered science, art, philosophy, history, archaeology and other related disciplines, and Institutions, which dealt with topics concerning the life of the ILE itself.
The 1936 civil war interrupted the publication of the BILE:The last publication of this period was in December of that year, in which they accounced its suspension "while the situation [...] that our country is going through lasts"
- The historical Newsletter exile
During the years of exile, a bulletin was released in Mexico by the Corporación de Antiguos Alumnos de la Institución Libre de Enseñanza, the Instituto-Escuela and the Residencia de Estudiantes, directed by Bernardo Giner de los Ríos. The first issue was published in 1961 and the last, that informed of the death of its director, and that of Gloria Giner de los Ríos, in 1970.
- The "second period" of the BILE:
After half a century of forced silence , in 1977, during the period of transition to democracy, the Foundation was again recognized as a legal entity, and it recovered, as the heir of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza, the assets that had been seized.
The ILE resumed its activities, and the publication of the Bulletin of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza became one of their main objectives. In 1987, under the direction of Antonio Jiménez-Landi, the magazine began, what the director called, its "second era", recovering the historical memory of the publication with the same multi-disciplinary perspective. Since 1990, Juan Marichal took over the direction of the publication, who, after his death, was succeeded by José-Carlos Mainer.
The content of the publication is marked by its character as a magazine of ideas and culture, with special attention to the current problems of education and with reference to the traditions represented by the Institución Libre de Enseñanza and its environment through the publication of texts and historical documents.
- Directors BILE:
1877-1881. Francisco Giner de los Ríos (1839-1915).
1881-1884. Joaquín Costa (1846-1911).
1884-1889. Joseph Case and White (1850-1928).
1890-1904. Francisco Giner de los Ríos (1839-1915).
1904-1910. Ricardo Rubio (1856-1935).
1910-1917. Adolfo Posada (1860-1944).
1914 Angel do Rego Rodriguez (1878-1939). Manager in support functions to the BILE:.
1917-1934. Ricardo Rubio (1856-1935).
1934-1936. Joseph Ontañón and Brave (1882-1948). Acting Director.
1936. Angel do Rego Rodriguez (1878-1939).
1987-1989. Antonio Jiménez-Landi (1909-1997).
1990-2010. Juan Marichal (1922-2010).
2010-. José-Carlos Mainer.