Royal Library, Denmark
The Royal Library (Danish: Det Kongelige Bibliotek) in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries. In 2017, it merged with the State and University Library in Aarhus to form a combined national library. The combined library organisation (the separate library locations in Copenhagen and Aarhus are maintained) is known as the Royal Danish Library (Danish: Det Kgl. Bibliotek).
| The Royal Library, the National Library of Denmark and the Copenhagen University Library | |
|---|---|
| Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Danmarks Nationalbibliotek og Københavns Universitetsbibliotek | |
The Black Diamond building, viewed from the east | |
| Location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Type | National library, university library |
| Scope | National Library of Denmark - Main library of the University of Copenhagen - Danish Museum of Books and Printing, National Museum of Photography, Museum of Danish Cartoon Art. |
| Established | 1648 (University Library founded 1482) |
| Reference to legal mandate | No special law. The obligations of the library are stated in the annual state budget |
| Collection | |
| Size | 36,975,069 physical units, 2,438,978 electronic titles (as of 2017) |
| Legal deposit | Since 1697 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Mr. Svend Larsen, director general |
| Website | www |
It contains numerous historical treasures, and a copy of all works printed in Denmark since the 17th century are deposited there. Thanks to extensive donations in the past, the library holds nearly all known Danish printed works back to and including the first Danish books, printed in 1482 by Johann Snell.