List of Largest Libraries in the World for Competitive Exams
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Libraries have always been an important factor in cases of civilizations and evolutions. A library is a place where a collection of varied numbers of books are kept. Nowadays, libraries have computers as well. Libraries now have permission to bring laptops as well.
They are found in colleges and schools as well. They have reference books that are used to study as well. Let us see the list of Largest Libraries in the world.
Largest Libraries in World
Some of the largest libraries include more than 15 million items.
British Library – It is the national library of the United Kingdom and the largest library by the number of items cataloged. This library was created on 1 July 1973 as a result of the British Library Act 1972.
Before this, the library was a part of the British Museum, which provided the bulk of the holdings of the new library, alongside smaller organizations which folded in.
Library of Congress – It is a research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the de facto national library of the US. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the US. The library housed three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
New York Public Library – It is a public library system in New York City. It is the second-largest public library in the USA. It works with the help of private and public funding. An act of the New York Legislature incorporated the Lenox Library in 1870.
Library and Archives – It is a federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and making Canada’s documentary heritage accessible. It is the fourth largest library in the world. This library reports to Parliament through Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Canadian Heritage since November 20, 2019.
Shanghai Library – It is the second largest library in China after the National Library in Beijing. It consists of 24 stories and is 348 feet tall. It is the second tallest library in the world, as well as one of the largest. The library was the first modern library to be established in Shanghai in 1847.
Russia State Library – It is the national library of Russia and located in Moscow. It is the largest in the country and the fifth-largest in the world for its collection of books. The library was founded on July 1, 1862.
Royal Library, Denmark – The Royal Library of Denmark situated in Copenhagen. It is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. In 2017, it merged with the state and University Library in Aarhus to form a combined Library.
National Diet Library – It is the national library of Japan and among the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the National Diet of Japan in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the United States Library of Congress.
Bibliotheque Nationale de France – It is the national library of France. It is located in Paris. It is the national repository of all that publishes in France and also holds extensive historical collections. This library was founded by Charles V in 1368 at the Louvre Palace.
German National Library – It is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. Its task is to collect, permanently archive, comprehensively document and record bibliographically all German and German-language publications since 1913.
National Library of India – It is the largest library located in Alipore, Kolkata. It is India’s largest library by volume and public record. The National Library is under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The library is designated to collect, disseminate, and preserve printed material produced in India.
The list of largest libraries in the world are :
| Name & Country | Location | Catalogue size |
| British Library, United Kingdom | London and Boston Spa | 170–200 million |
| Library of Congress, United States | Washington D.C. | 170 million |
| New York Public Library, United States | New York City | 55 million |
| Library and Archives, Canada | Ottawa | 54 million |
| Shanghai Library, China | Shanghai | 50 million |
| Russian State Library, Russia | Moscow | 47.2 million |
| Royal Danish Library, Denmark | Copenhagen and Aarhus | 42.5 million |
| National Diet Library, Japan | Tokyo and Kyoto | 41.9 million |
| Bibliothèque Nationale de France | Paris | 40 million |
| National Library of China | Beijing | 37.7 million |
| National Library of Russia | Saint Petersburg | 36.5 million |
| German National Library, Germany | Leipzig and Frankfurt | 36.1 million |
| Biblioteca Nacional de España, Spain | Madrid | 33.1 million |
| Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia | Saint Petersburg | 26.5 million |
| Berlin State Library, Germany | Berlin | 23.4 million |
| Boston Public Library, United States | Boston, Massachusetts | 22.4 million |
| New York State Library, United States | Albany, New York | 20 million |
| Harvard Library, United States | Cambridge, Massachusetts | 18.9 million |
| National Library of Sweden | Stockholm | 18 million |
| Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine | Kiev | 15.5 million |
| Yale Library, United States | New Haven, Connecticut | 15.2 million |
| National Library of Iran | Tehran | 15 million |
Largest Libraries in India
Some of the largest libraries in India are:
| Library Name | Est. Year | Prominence |
| The National Library of India, Kolkata | 1836 | 26,41,615 books along with other periodicals, maps, manuscripts, etc |
| Delhi Public Library, New Delhi | 1951 | 18 lakh books in English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi & other Indian Languages |
| Saraswathi Mahal Library Or Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji’s Sarasvati Mahal Library, Tamil Nadu | 1918 | A rare collection of palm leaf manuscripts in various regional languages of India. |
| Anna Centenary Library, Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 2010 | Collection of 5 lakh books and Braille section for blind readers |
| Krishnadas Shama Central Library, Goa | 1832 | Total 1.8 lakh books in different languages & pre-liberation collection are over 40,000 volumes |
| Allahabad Public Library, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh | 1864 | 1.25 lakh books on various subjects and rare Arabic manuscripts along with papers of Parliament. |
| Smt. Hansa Mehta Library, Baroda, Gujarat | 1950 | 3,500 precious collection of books dated back to the 16th century |
| Connemara Public Library, Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 1896 | One of the 4 National Depository Libraries also serves as a depository library for the UN |
| State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | 1829 | 3, 67,243 documents in Sanskrit, Tamil, English, Malayalam, and more |
Conclusion
Here we completed the list of Largest Libraries in the world. The National Library in Kolkata, West Bengal is the largest library in India. The oldest library which has been established in India is The State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The largest libraries are categorized based on their catalogue size. Libraries are an important asset in terms of revenue and education for a nation.
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