  We provide a homogeneous library of high-resolution, high-S/N spectra for 48
bright AFGKM stars, some of them approaching the quality of solar-flux spectra.
Our sample includes the northern Gaia benchmark stars, some solar analogs, and
some other bright Morgan-Keenan (M-K) spectral standards. Well-exposed deep
spectra were created by average-combining individual exposures. The
data-reduction process relies on adaptive selection of parameters by using
statistical inference and robust estimators.We employed spectrum synthesis
techniques and statistics tools in order to characterize the spectra and give a
first quick look at some of the science cases possible. With an average
spectral resolution of R=220,000 (1.36 km/s), a continuous wavelength coverage
from 383 nm to 912 nm, and S/N of between 70:1 for the faintest star in the
extreme blue and 6,000:1 for the brightest star in the red, these spectra are
now made public for further data mining and analysis. Preliminary results
include new stellar parameters for 70 Vir and alpha Tau, the detection of the
rare-earth element dysprosium and the heavy elements uranium, thorium and
neodymium in several RGB stars, and the use of the 12C to 13C isotope ratio for
age-related determinations. We also found Arcturus to exhibit few-percent CaII
H&K and H-alpha residual profile changes with respect to the KPNO atlas taken
in 1999.
