Libraries are essential institutions that serve as repositories of knowledge, culture, and community engagement. They are characterised by their extensive book collections, providing a diverse array of materials to cater to various interests and informational needs. Librarians and trained staff are crucial in assisting users, guiding research, and maintaining the library's operations.
These spaces offer quiet study environments, with individual study areas, group study rooms, and open reading spaces. Beyond traditional books, modern libraries integrate technology, providing computer workstations, internet access, and digital resources. Some libraries also house special collections, preserving rare books, manuscripts, and historical documents for researchers and enthusiasts. Libraries go beyond being repositories of information; they actively contribute to community engagement through cultural programs, educational initiatives, and literacy programs. Events such as book clubs, author talks, and workshops create a sense of community and intellectual exchange.
British Library in the United Kingdom is the largest library in the world.
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List Of 10 Largest Libraries In The World
British Library with a catalogued size of 170–200 million is the largest library followed by the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., US. Here is the complete list:
Name | Country | Location | Catalogued size | Visitors per year | Budget | Staff |
British Library | United Kingdom | London and Boston Spa | 170–200 million | 1.75 million | £141 million | 1,977 |
Library of Congress | United States | Washington, D.C. | 175 million+ | 1.9 million | US$696.112 million | 3,149 |
Shanghai Library | China | Shanghai | 57 million | - | - | - |
New York Public Library | United States | New York City | 55 million | 18 million | US$250 million | 3,000 |
Library and Archives Canada | Canada | Ottawa | 54 million | - | C$116.9 million | 874 |
Russian State Library | Russia | Moscow | 48.1 million | 498,000 | ₽2.7 billion | 1,613 |
National Diet Library | Japan | Tokyo and Kyoto | 44.1 million | 791,370 | ¥21.8 billion | 908 |
German National Library | Germany | Leipzig and Frankfurt | 43.7 million | 350,713 | €57.6 million | 639 |
Royal Danish Library | Denmark | Copenhagen and Aarhus | 42.5 million (physical items, excl. digital) | 1.45 million | 523.8 million kr | 800+ |
National Library of China | China | Beijing | 43.27 million | 5.2 million | - | 1,365 |
The compilation of the largest libraries comprises institutions that, as of 2008 or later, house 15 million items or more. The provided data relies on information disclosed by the respective libraries. Due to the absence of universally agreed-upon criteria for inventory measurement, libraries may have employed diverse methods to tally their collections. Consequently, the presented figures may not be readily comparable.
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