Largest Libraries in the World

For thousands of years, libraries have been some of the world’s most important sources of knowledge. Large book and document collections have been a hallmark of libraries throughout history. The libraries on this list now house some of the world’s most extensive holdings.

These are the world’s ten largest libraries, and their collections grow every year.

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress in Washington DC has more than 170 million items in its collection, making it the world’s largest library. Because it is the official national library of the United States, the Library of Congress holds a slew of priceless artefacts and records. In addition, the collection contains around 39 million books and other printed materials and 3 million recordings.

British Library

It is Europe’s largest library and the world’s second-largest library, having a little lesser collection than the Library of Congress. More than 150 million items are currently in the British Library’s catalogue, with 3 million new things added every year.

New York Public Library

With nearly 55 million volumes and other research resources, the New York Public Library is the second biggest library in the United States. As a result, the New York Public Library attracts roughly eight times as many visitors as the British Library and Library of Congress combined, while having a substantially smaller collection.

Library and Archives Canada

It is the country’s largest library and research facility. The National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada were established in 1872 and 1953, respectively. The National Archives and the National Library of Canada were merged into one organisation in 2004 and named Library and Archives Canada (LAC).

Shanghai Library

More than 50 million items are housed in the Shanghai Library, China’s largest public library (both Chinese and Western). Additionally, Shanghai Library provides SciTech and industry information research services to the general public. It wasn’t until 1995 that Shanghai Library united with the Institute of Scientific and Technological Information of Shanghai (ISTIS) to offer comprehensive research services.

Russian State Library

The Russian State Library is the country’s and Eastern Europe’s most important library. The Russian State Library was founded in 1862 as part of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums and now contains more than 47 million items in its holdings. There are about 800,000 visitors to the Russian State Library annually; citizens of Russia or any other state can get a library card at the age of 14 if they are citizens of that state.

National Diet Library

Japan’s national library is the National Diet Library, located in Tokyo and Kyoto. It is the primary responsibility of the National Diet Library to provide research assistance to the members of Japan’s bicameral National Diet. It’s also open to the public in the National Diet Library, where over 650,000 people come annually.

Biblioque Nationale de France

The largest library in France, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, is France’s national library. The Bibliothèque’s collection includes more than 40 million artefacts, including 15 million books and printed papers, manuscripts, prints, pictures, maps and plans, scores, coins, medals, sound records, video and multimedia documents, and scenic components. The Bibliothèque Nationale de France acquires approximately 150,000 new items each year.

National Library of Russia

The second-largest library in Russia is located in Saint Petersburg, the Russian National Library. As of December 31 2016, the National Library of Russia’s collection contained 37.89 million pieces. Every year, the Russian National Library sees around a million visitors, but in 2016 it only had 820,000 visitors. The National Library of Russia was founded on May 27 1795 and contains papers from the last two centuries of Russia’s history. Catherine II founded the Imperial Public Library, which was renamed the National Library of Russia after her death.

National Library of China

Even though it is not China’s largest library, the National Library of China is the People’s Republic of China’s official library. More than 37.68 million materials are housed in the National Library of China, located in Beijing. The National Library of China is not only China’s primary depository for its publications but is also a national bibliographic centre, a national centre for the preservation and conservation of archaic books. It is also China’s national museum of ancient books. The National Library of China also holds international works for safekeeping.