European Library Directories and Major Libraries

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

This page:
Web Directories | Austria | Belgium | France | Germany | Ireland | Italy | Netherlands | Poland | Russia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | United Kingdom | Vatican

Web Directories

• The European Library - The national libraries of Europe have added digital treasures to this continental collection
• Directory of Europe's national libraries
• Libweb: Directory of European Libraries (no longer updated as of late 2011)
• 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 (SUNCAT)

Austria

National Library:

• Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

Web Directory:

• Austrian Academic Portal: Libraries

Belgium

National Library:

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

Web Directory:

• Belgian Library Catalogues Available Over the Internet

France

National Library:

• Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Other Library:

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

Germany

National Library:

• Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

Other Libraries:

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

Web Directories:

• 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)

Poland

National Library:

• National Library of Poland

Major University Library:

• Jagiellonian University Library, Krakow

Russia

National Libraries:

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

Other Libraries:

• Russian Academy of Sciences Library, St. Petersburg

Spain

National Library:

• Biblioteca Nacional de España

Sweden

Web Directory:

• Svenska Bibliotek (in Swedish)

Switzerland

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:

• Swiss Libraries

United Kingdom

• See U.K. Libraries

Vatican

National Library:

• Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
• Library of Congress exhibit of treasures from the Vatican Library