List of national and state libraries
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A national library is established by the government of a nation to serve as the pre-eminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, they rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works, such as the Gutenberg Bible. National libraries are usually notable for their size, compared to that of other libraries in the same country. Some national libraries may be thematic or specialized in some specific domains, beside or in replacement of the 'main' national library.
Some national entities, which are not independent but wish to preserve their particular culture, have established a national library with all the attributes of such institutions, such as legal deposit.
Many national libraries cooperate within the National Libraries Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to discuss their common tasks, define and promote common standards and carry out projects helping them to fulfil their duties. National libraries of Europe participate in The European Library. This is a service of The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL).
The list below is organized alphabetically by country, according to the list of sovereign states, including, at its end, an 'other states' section for non-sovereign states. A "♦" indicates a national library of a province or state, or constituent country or dependent state [neutrality is disputed]. It is listed under the sovereign state which governs that entity. Sovereign states are listed even when they have no national library or when the existence and name of a national library could not yet be ascertained. Other states, constituent countries, and dependent states are listed only if they have a national library.
National libraries
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
- Other states
A
B
C
D
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Denmark | Danish Royal Library, The National Library of Denmark and Copenhagen University Library (Det Kongelige Bibliotek) | Copenhagen | Yes | |
| State and University Library (Statsbiblioteket) | Aarhus | Yes | |||
| Faroe Islands | ♦ Faroe Islands | National Library of the Faroe Islands (Føroya landsbókasavn) | Tórshavn | ||
| Greenland | ♦ Greenland | Public and National Library of Greenland (Det Grønlandske Landsbibliotek = Nunatta Atuagaateqarfia) | Nuuk | ||
| Djibouti | Djibouti | National Archive and Library of Djibouti (Centre national de documentation de Djibouti[fi]) | Djibouti | ||
| Dominica | Dominica | National Library of Dominica | Roseau | ||
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic | National Library Pedro Henríquez Ureña (Biblioteca Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña) | Santo Domingo |
E
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timor-Leste | East Timor | National Library of East Timor (Biblioteca e Arquivo Nacional de Timor-Leste) | Dili | ||
| Ecuador | Ecuador | National Library of Ecuador (Biblioteca Nacional del Ecuador Eugenio Espejo) | Quito | ||
| Egypt | Egypt | Egyptian National Library and Archives | Cairo | ||
| Egyptian National Agricultural Library | Giza | ||||
| El Salvador | El Salvador | National Library of El Salvador (Biblioteca Nacional Francisco Gavidia[es]) | San Salvador | ||
| Equatorial Guinea | Equatorial Guinea | National Library of Equatorial Guinea (Biblioteca Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial[es]) | Malabo | ||
| Eritrea | Eritrea | Research and Documentation Center of Eritrea | Asmara | ||
| Estonia | Estonia | National Library of Estonia (Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu) | Tallinn | Yes | |
| Eswatini | Eswatini | Eswatini National Library Service (Mbabane Public Library - ENLS) | Mbabane | ||
| Ethiopia | Ethiopia | National Archives and Library of Ethiopia | Addis Ababa |
F
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | → see under Denmark | |||
| Fiji | Fiji | Library Services of Fiji | Suva | ||
| Finland | Finland | National Library of Finland (Kansalliskirjasto = Nationalbibliotek) | Helsinki | ||
| Åland | ♦ Åland | Mariehamn City Library (Mariehamns stadsbibliotek[sv]) | Mariehamn | ||
| France | France | National Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France) | Paris |
G
H
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haiti | Haiti | National Library of Haiti (Bibliothèque nationale d'Haïti) | Port-au-Prince | ||
| Honduras | Honduras | Juan Ramón Molina National Library (Biblioteca Nacional Juan Ramón Molina) | Tegucigalpa | ||
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | → see under People's Republic of China | |||
| Hungary | Hungary | National Széchényi Library (Országos Széchényi Könyvtár) | Budapest | ||
| University of Debrecen Library (Debreceni Egyetemi és Nemzeti Könyvtár) | Debrecen |
I
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | Iceland | National and University Library of Iceland (Landsbókasafn Íslands Háskólabókasafn) | Reykjavík | Yes | |
| India | India | National Library of India | Kolkata | Yes | |
| Indonesia | Indonesia | National Library of Indonesia (Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia) | Central Jakarta | Yes | |
| Iran | Iran | National Library of Iran (Ketabkhane-ye Melli-ye Iran) | Tehran | Yes | |
| Malek National Library (Ketabkhane-ye Melli-ye Malek) | |||||
| Iraq | Iraq | Iraq National Library and Archive | Baghdad | ||
| Republic of Ireland | Ireland | National Library of Ireland = Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann | Dublin | ||
| Isle of Man | Isle of Man | → see under United Kingdom | |||
| Israel | Israel | National Library of Israel (הספרייה הלאומית) | Jerusalem | Yes | |
| Italy | Italy | National Central Library (Florence) (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Firenze) | Florence | ||
| National Central Library (Rome) (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma) | Rome | ||||
| Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III (Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli) | Naples |
J
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | Jamaica | National Library of Jamaica | Kingston | Yes | |
| Japan | Japan | National Diet Library | Tokyo and Kyoto (Kansai-kan) | Yes | |
| Jersey | Jersey | → see under United Kingdom | |||
| Jordan | Jordan | National Library of Jordan | Amman |
K
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan | National Library of Kazakhstan (Қазақстан Республикасының Ұлттық Кітапханасы = Национальная библиотека Республики Казахстан) | Almaty | ||
| Kenya | Kenya | National Library Service of Kenya | Nairobi | Yes | |
| Kiribati | Kiribati | Kiribati National Library and Archives | Bairiki | ||
| North Korea | North Korea | Grand People's Study House | Pyongyang | ||
| South Korea | South Korea | National Library of Korea (국립중앙도서관) | Seoul | ||
| National Digital Library of Korea | |||||
| National Library for Children and Young Adults (국립어린이청소년도서관) | |||||
| Kosovo | Kosovo | → see under Other States | |||
| Kuwait | Kuwait | National Library of Kuwait | Kuwait | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstan | National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic (Кыргыз Республикасынын Улуттук Китепканасы) | Bishkek |
L
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laos | Laos | National Library of Laos | Vientiane | ||
| Latvia | Latvia | National Library of Latvia (Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka) | Riga | ||
| Lebanon | Lebanon | Lebanon National Library (المكتبة الو طنية = Bibliothèque Nationale du Liban) | Beirut | ||
| Lesotho | Lesotho | Lesotho National Library Services (Libraries in Lesotho) | Maseru | ||
| Liberia | Liberia | National Public Library of Liberia (Liberian kansalliskirjasto[fi]) | Monrovia | ||
| Libya | Libya | National Library of Libya | Benghazi | ||
| Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein State Library (Liechtensteinische Landesbibliothek) | Vaduz | ||
| Lithuania | Lithuania | Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (Lietuvos Nacionalinė Martyno Mažvydo biblioteka) | Vilnius | ||
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | National Library of Luxembourg (Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg = Lëtzebuerger Nationalbibliothéik = Nationalbibliothek Luxemburg) | Luxembourg |
M
N
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namibia | Namibia | National Library of Namibia | Windhoek | ||
| Nauru | Nauru | ||||
| Nepal | Nepal | Nepal National Library | Harihar Bhawan, Lalitpur | ||
| Netherlands | Netherlands | Royal Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek, lit. "Royal Library") | The Hague | ||
| Aruba | ♦ Aruba | National Library of Aruba (Biblioteca Nacional Aruba) | Oranjestad | ||
| New Zealand | New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) | Wellington | ||
| Cook Islands | ♦ Cook Islands | National Library of the Cook Islands Cook Islands Library and Museum Society | Rarotonga | ||
| Nicaragua | Nicaragua | National Library of Nicaragua Rubén Darío (Biblioteca Nacional de Nicaragua Rubén Darío) | Managua | ||
| National Health Library (Biblioteca Nacional de Salud) | |||||
| Niger | Niger | Direction of the National Archives of Niger (Direction des Archives nationales du Niger) | Niamey | ||
| Nigeria | Nigeria | National Library of Nigeria | Lagos | ||
| North... | → see under the second word | ||||
| Norway | Norway | National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbiblioteket) | Oslo and Mo i Rana |
O
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oman | Oman | Sultan Qaboos University Library | Muscat |
P
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | Pakistan | National Library of Pakistan | Islamabad | ||
| Palau | Palau | Palau Community College Library | Koror | ||
| Palestine | Palestine | Palestinian National Library (المكتبة الوطنية الفلسطينية) | Ramallah | Yes | |
| Panama | Panama | National Library of Panama (Biblioteca Nacional de Panamá) | Panama City | ||
| Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea | National Library of Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | ||
| Paraguay | Paraguay | National Library of Paraguay (Biblioteca Nacional del Paraguay) | Asunción | ||
| National Library of Agriculture (Paraguay) (Biblioteca Nacional de Agricultura) | |||||
| Peru | Peru | National Library of Peru (Biblioteca Nacional del Perú) | Lima | Yes | |
| Philippines | Philippines | National Library of the Philippines (Pambansang Aklatan ng Pilipinas) | Manila | Yes | |
| Poland | Poland | National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa) | Warsaw | Yes | |
| Jagiellonian Library (Biblioteka Jagiellońska) | Kraków | Yes | |||
| Portugal | Portugal | Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (National Library of Portugal) | Lisbon |
Q
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | Qatar | Qatar National Library | Doha | ||
| Quebec | Quebec | → see under Canada |
R
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | Romania | National Library of Romania (Biblioteca Națională a României) | Bucharest | ||
| Russia | Russian Federation | Russian State Library (Российская Государственная Библиотека) | Moscow | ||
| National Library of Russia (Российская Национальная Библиотека) | Saint Petersburg | ||||
| Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library (Президентская библиотека имени Б.Н.Ельцина) | |||||
| Bashkortostan Bashkortostan | Akhmet-Zaki Validi National Library of the Republic of Bashkortostan[ru] (Национальная библиотека имени Ахмет-Заки Валиди) | Ufa | |||
| Chechnya Chechnya | National Library of the Chechen Republic[ru] (Национальная библиотека Чеченской Республики) | Grozny | |||
| Chuvashia Chuvashia | National Library of the Chuvash Republic[ru] (Национальная библиотека Чувашской Республики) | Cheboksary | |||
| Dagestan Dagestan | National Library of the Republic of Dagestan[ru] (Национальная библиотека Республики Дагестан) | Makhachkala | |||
| Kalmykia Kalmykia | National Library of Kalmykia[ru] (Национальная библиотека Калмыкии) | Elista | |||
| Republic of Karelia Republic of Karelia | National Library of the Republic of Karelia[ru] (Национальная библиотека Республики Карелия) | Petrozavodsk | |||
| Khakassia Khakassia | National Library of the Republic of Khakassia[ru] (Национальная библиотека Республики Хакасия) | Abakan | |||
| Komi Republic Komi Republic | National Library of the Komi Republic[ru] (Национальная библиотека Республики Коми) | Syktyvkar | |||
| Mari El Mari El | S. G. Chavaine National Library[ru] (Национальная библиотека имени С. Г. Чавайна) | Yoshkar-Ola | |||
| Mordovia Mordovia | National Library of the Republic of Mordovia[ru] (Национальная библиотека имени А. С. Пушкина Республики Мордовия) | Saransk | |||
| North Ossetia–Alania North Ossetia–Alania | National Scientific Library of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania[ru] (Национальная научная библиотека Республики Северная Осетия — Алания) | Vladikavkaz | |||
| Sakha Republic Sakha | National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)[ru] (Национальная библиотека Республики Саха (Якутия)) | Yakutsk | |||
| Tatarstan Tatarstan | National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan (Татарстан Республикасы Милли китапханәсендә = Национальная Библиотека Республики Татарстан) | Kazan | |||
| Tuva Tuva | National Library of the Republic of Tyva[ru] (Национальная библиотека Республики Тыва им. А. С. Пушкина) | Kyzyl | |||
| Udmurtia Udmurtia | National Library of the Udmurt Republic[ru] (Национальная библиотека Удмуртской Республики) | Izhevsk | |||
| Rwanda | Rwanda | National Library of Rwanda (Bibliothèque nationale du Rwanda) | Kigali |
S
T
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | Republic of China (Taiwan) | → see under Other States | |||
| Tajikistan | Tajikistan | National Library of Tajikistan (Национальная библиотека Таджикистана) | Dushanbe | ||
| Tanzania | Tanzania | National Central Library / Tanzania Library Services Board[sw] (Shirika la Huduma za Maktaba Tanzania) | Dar es Salaam | ||
| Tatarstan | Tatarstan | → see under Russia | |||
| Thailand | Thailand | National Library of Thailand (หอสมุดแห่งชาติ) | Bangkok | ||
| Togo | Togo | National Library of Togo (Bibliothèque nationale du Togo) | Lomé | ||
| Tonga | Tonga | [No national library] | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | National Library and Information System The Heritage Library | Port of Spain | ||
| Tunisia | Tunisia | National Library of Tunisia (Bibliothèque nationale de Tunisie, المكتبة الوطنية التونسية) | Tunis | ||
| Turkey | Turkey | National Library of Turkey (Milli Kütüphane) | Ankara | ||
| National Library of İzmir (İzmir Milli Kütüphanesi) | İzmir | ||||
| Turkmenistan | Turkmenistan | State Library of Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | ||
| Tuvalu | Tuvalu | Tuvalu National Library and Archives | Funafuti |
U
V
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | Vanuatu | National Library of Vanuatu | Port Vila | ||
| Vatican City | Vatican City | Vatican Library (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana) | Vatican City | ||
| Venezuela | Venezuela | National Library of Venezuela (Biblioteca Nacional de Venezuela) | Caracas | ||
| Vietnam | Vietnam | National Library of Vietnam (Thư Viện Quốc Gia Việt Nam) | Hanoi | Yes |
W
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | Wales | → see under United Kingdom |
Y
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yemen | Republic of Yemen | National Library of Yemen | Aden |
Z
| Country | Library | City | Legal deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zambia | Zambia | Zambia Library Service | Lusaka | ||
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | National Archives of Zimbabwe Library | Harare? |
Other States
| Country | Library | City | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abkhazia | Abkhazia | I.G. Papaskir National Library of Abkhazia | Sukhumi | |
| Kosovo | Kosovo | National Library of Kosovo (Biblioteka Kombëtare e Kosovës) | Pristina | |
| Northern Cyprus | Northern Cyprus | National Library of Northern Cyprus (Millî Kütüphane) | North Nicosia | |
| Taiwan | Republic of China (Taiwan) | National Central Library (國家圖書館) | Taipei | |
| Somaliland | Somaliland | National Library of Somaliland | Hargeisa |
State libraries
A state library is established by a state to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that region.
Australia
- ACT Heritage Library
- Library & Archives NT
- State Library of New South Wales
- State Library of Queensland
- State Library of South Australia
- State Library of Tasmania
- State Library Victoria
- State Library of Western Australia
China
Mainland
- Capital Library of China
- Tianjin Library
- Hebei Library
- Shanxi Library
- Inner Mongolia Library
- Liaoning Provincial Library
- Jilin Province Library
- Heilongjiang Provincial Library
- Shanghai Library
- Shanghai Children's Library
- Nanjing Library
- Zhejiang Library
- Anhui Provincial Library
- Fujian Provincial Library
- Jiangxi Provincial Library
- Shandong Library
- Henan Provincial Library
- Hubei Provincial Library
- Hunan Library
- Hunan Provincial Library of Juveniles and Children
- Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province
- Library of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
- Guangxi Guilin Library
- Hainan Library
- Chongqing Library
- Chongqing Children's Library
- Sichuan Provincial Library
- Guizhou Provincial Library
- Yunnan Provincial Library
- Tibet Library
- Shaanxi Library
- Gansu Provincial Library
- Qinghai Library
- Ningxia Library
- Xinjiang Library
Hong Kong
Macau
Germany
- Bavarian State Library, Munich
- Berlin Central and Regional Library
- Göttingen State and University Library
- Hessian State Library, Wiesbaden
- Saxon State and University Library Dresden
- Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart
India
- Goa State Central Library
- Harekrushna Mahtab State Library
- Nagaland State Library
- North Bengal State Library
- State Central Library, Hyderabad
- State Central Library, Kerala
Spain
Autonomous communities libraries
- Andalusia Library
- Aragon Library
- Asturias Library
- Central Library of Cantabria
- Castile and Leon Library
- Castile-La Mancha Library
- Library of Catalonia
- Extremadura Library
- Library of Galicia
- La Rioja Library
- Madrid Regional Library
- Murcia Regional Library
- Navarre Library
- Valencian Library
Switzerland
The member states of the Swiss Confederation are the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The cantonal libraries[de] (German: Kantonsbibliothek, French: Bibliothèque cantonale, Italian: Biblioteca cantonale, Romansh: Biblioteca chantunala) are:
- Aargau: Aargauer Kantonsbibliothek
- Appenzell Ausserrhoden: Kantonsbibliothek Appenzell Ausserrhoden
- Appenzell Innerrhoden: Innerrhodische Kantonsbibliothek
- Basel-Landschaft: Kantonsbibliothek Baselland
- Basel-Stadt: Basel University Library (university and cantonal library)
- Bern: Bibliothek Münstergasse (formerly Zentralbibliothek Bern, Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek Bern)
- Fribourg: Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire de Fribourg
- Geneva: Bibliothèque de Genève
- Glarus: Glarner Landesbibliothek
- Grisons: Kantonsbibliothek Graubünden / Biblioteca chantunala dal Grischun / Biblioteca cantonale dei Grigioni
- Jura: Bibliothèque cantonale jurassienne
- Luzern: Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern (university and cantonal library)
- Neuchâtel: Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel
- Nidwalden: Kantonsbibliothek Nidwalden
- Obwalden: Kantonsbibliothek Obwalden
- Schaffhausen: Stadtbibliothek Schaffhausen (city and cantonal library)
- Schwyz: Kantonsbibliothek Schwyz
- Solothurn: Zentralbibliothek Solothurn (city and cantonal library)
- St. Gallen: Kantonsbibliothek St. Gallen
- Ticino: four libraries, Biblioteca cantonale di Bellinzona, Biblioteca cantonale di Locarno, Biblioteca cantonale di Lugano, Biblioteca cantonale e del Liceo di Mendrisio
- Thurgau: Kantonsbibliothek Thurgau
- Uri: Kantonsbibliothek Uri
- Valais: Médiathèque Valais / Mediathek Wallis
- Vaud: Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne
- Zug: Bibliothek Zug
- Zürich: Zentralbibliothek Zürich (city, cantonal, and university library)
United States
See also
- European Library
- List of libraries
- List of libraries by country
- List of national archives
- List of U.S. state library associations
- Staatsbibliothek
Notes
External links
- .
- . International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
- . International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Archived from on 2008-12-18. Note: the IFLA now links to the Wikipedia list above (partly edited by IFLA members) instead of maintaining its own list, see also the of the National Libraries Section.
- . UNESCO. 18 June 2013.