World's oldest national libraries
Predating the widespread adoption of the printing press,
several national libraries around the world boast remarkably
long histories. Established centuries ago, these institutions
were often fostered by the patronage of royalty and
religious institutions, transcending the role of mere
book repositories. They function as cultural cornerstones,
meticulously safeguarding a nation's intellectual heritage
and serving as invaluable resources for scholars. Their
vast collections, encompassing everything from ancient
manuscripts to contemporary research, offer a diachronic
lens through which to examine the evolution of knowledge
and scholarship within a specific cultural context.
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# |
Name |
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Location |
Founded
|
Origins |
1 |
National Library of the Czech Republic |
Národní Knihovna Ceské Republiky |
Prague, Czech Republic |
1366 |
Book donations by King Charles IV |
|
2 |
National Library of Austria |
Österreichische
Nationalbibliothek |
Vienna, Austria |
1368 |
Royal collection of Albrecht III, Archduke of Austria |
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3 |
Marciana National Library |
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana |
Venice, Italy |
1468 |
Personal collection of Cardinal Bessarione |
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4 |
National Library of France |
Bibliothèque Nationale de France |
Paris, France |
1480 |
Royal library of Louis XI |
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5 |
National Library of Malta |
Biblioteka Nazzjonali ta’ Malta |
Valetta, Malta |
1555 |
Collection of the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem |
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6 |
Bavarian State Library |
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek |
Munich, Germany |
1558 |
Court library of Albrecht V, Duke of Bavaria |
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7 |
National Library of Belgium |
Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique |
Brussels, Belgium |
1559 |
Collection of manuscripts of the Dukes of Burgundy |
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8 |
Edward Kardelja University Library |
Edvarda Kardelja
Knjižnica Univerza v Ljubljani |
Ljubljana, Slovenia |
1595 |
Books from the Jesuit college in Ljubljana |
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9 |
National Library of Croatia |
Nacionalna i Sveučilišna Knjižnica |
Zagreb, Croatia |
1606 |
Library collections established by Jesuits |
|
10 |
National Library of Finland |
Helsingin Yliopiston Kirjasto |
Helsinki, Finland |
1640 |
Founded in Turku when Finland was part of Sweden |
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11 |
National Library of Denmark |
Det Kongelige Bibliotek |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
1653 |
Founded by King Frederik III |
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12 |
National Library of Sweden |
Kungliga Biblioteket |
Stockholm |
1661 |
Personal collection of King Gustavus I of Sweden |
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13 |
Prussian State Library |
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Preussischer Kulturbesitz |
Berlin, Germany |
1661 |
Founded by Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg |
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14 |
National Library of Scotland |
|
Edinburgh, Scotland |
1682 |
Part of the Library of the Faculty of Advocates |
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15 |
National Library of Colombia |
Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia |
Bogotá, Colombia |
1777 |
Founded by Viceroy Manuel de Guirior |
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Sources:
1. G. Hernández de Alba; J. Carrasquilla Botero.
Historia de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia.
Bogotá: Instituto Caro y Cuervo, 1977.
2. G. Oswald. Library World Records, 2nd
ed. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc.,
2009
3. M.F. Suarez; H. R. Woudhuysen. The Oxford Companion
to the Book, vol. 1. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2010.
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