European Library Directories and Major Libraries

Some of the greatest and oldest libraries in the world are in Europe

This page:
Web Directories of European Libraries | Austria | Belarus | Belgium | Czechia | France | Germany | Ireland | Italy | Netherlands | Poland | Portugal | Russia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Ukraine | United Kingdom | Vatican

Web Directories of European Libraries

• The European Library - The national libraries of Europe have added digital treasures to this continental collection
• Contributing Libraries to the European Library
• LIBER: Association of European Research Libraries / Ligue des Bibliothèques Européenes de Recherche
• Theatrum Catalogorum: Europe - Annotated directory of library catalogs (union catalogs, national libraries, major university libraries); aimed at students of the Early Modern era
• Western European Library Catalogs (Western European Studies Section, Association of College and Research Libraries)

Union Catalogs:

• Karlsruhe Virtual Catalog - Choose from dozens of library catalogs in Europe, North America, and elsewhere, and search them all at once. English-language interface. (Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog, KVK)
• Other Union Catalogues - Mostly European (SUNCAT)

Austria

National Library:

• Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

Historic Libraries:

• Stift Admont abbey library
• Stift Melk abbey library

Web Directory of Austrian Libraries:

• Austrian Academic Portal: Libraries

Belarus

National Library:

• National Library of Belarus

Belgium

National Library:

• Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique / Koninklijke Biblotheek van België (Catalogs page, in English)

Web Directory of Belgian Libraries:

• Belgian Library Catalogues Available Over the Internet

Czechia

National Library:

• National Library of the Czech Republic

Historic Library:

• Strahov Library

Denmark

National Library:

• Det Kongelige Bibliotek

France

National Library:

• Bibliothèque Nationale de France
• France-Angleterre, 700-1200 - Illuminated manucscripts from the national libraries of the UK and France

Historic Libraries:

• Bibliothèque Mazarine - Historic library originally founded by the 17th century Cardinal Mazarin
• Chateau de Chantily

Union Catalog:

• Catalogue Collectif de France

Germany

National Library:

• Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, Leipzig and Frankfurt
• Deutsche Musikarchiv - Music library

State Libraries:

• Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich
• Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
• Würtemburgische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart

Other Library:

• Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel - Research center for medieval and early modern studies

Web Directories of German Libraries:

• Bibliotheken, Bücher und Berichte
• Deutsche Bibliotheken Online

Union Catalog:

• GVK-GBV Union Catalog - Catalog of more than 400 member libraries, English-language interface (Gemeinsamer Verbundkatalog, GVK)

Ireland

• See Irish Libraries

Italy

National Libraries:

• Florence: Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze
• Rome: Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma

Other Libraries:

• Biblioteca Ambrosiana (Ambrosian Library), Milan
• Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (Laurentian Library), Florence

Nethelands

National Library:

• Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Royal Library of the Netherlands, English-language page)

Other Library:

• Rijksmuseum Research Library

Poland

National Library:

• National Library of Poland

Major University Library:

• Jagiellonian University Library, Krakow

Portugal

National Library:

• Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

Major University Library:

• General Library of University of Coimbra

Russia

National Libraries:

• National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg
• Russian State Library, Moscow

Other Library:

• Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg

Spain

National Library:

• Biblioteca Nacional de España

Other Library:

• Biblioteca de Catalunya, Barcelona

Union Catalog:

• ReBiUn - Union catalog of Spanish universities

Sweden

National Library:

• Kungliga Biblioteket

Major Public Library:

• Stockholms Stadbibliotek

Web Directory of Swedish Libraries:

• Svenska Bibliotek (in Swedish)

Switzerland

National Library:

• Swiss National Library

Rare Book Library:

• Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen (Abbey Library of St. Gall) - Home of an amazing collection of medieval manuscripts and early printed works (incunabula), many of them viewable online

Web Directory of Swiss Libraries:

• Swiss Libraries

Ukraine:

National Library:

• Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine

United Kingdom

• See U.K. Libraries

Vatican

National Library:

• Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
• Library of Congress exhibit of treasures from the Vatican Library
• Polonsky Foundation Digitization Project - A project of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and Bodleian Library (Oxford) to digitize early manuscripts