Academic CentreIn the autumn of 2024, a new page was turned in the history of Latvian libraries – two libraries were reorganised during the internal consolidation at the University of Latvia (UL), forming a new UL institution – Library of the University of Latvia.
The reform united two university libraries of national significance – the Library of the University of Latvia and one of the earliest libraries in Europe – Academic Library of the University of Latvia. The newly established Library of the University of Latvia commenced its work on 16 October 2024.
It is an important national-scale event, as the newly formed library is vested with an accountability to the Latvian society, thinking about the scientific, intellectual and unique cultural and historical values held by UL in the global context, ensuring their availability and preservation for future generations.
The holdings of the united libraries encompass around 3.2 million information resource units: books, journals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts, art editions, sound recordings, unpublished materials, dissertations, and other materials and more than 200 thousand e-resources in various branches of science. The holdings include donations from UL historical institutions, private collections, as well as special collections, which are the “heart” of the library and the pride of the collection.
The greatest treasure of the Library of the University of Latvia is the collection of the Bibliotheca Rigensis, founded in 1524, which has been formed over the centuries and is rightly called the oldest and most valuable collection of books, ancient prints and manuscripts in the country, although most of it perished during the Second World War. Another gem of the Library of the University of Latvia is Misiņš Library – the earliest and most complete repository of Latvian literature, established in 1885 by the outstanding Latvian bibliographer Jānis Misiņš. It has served as a source of knowledge and inspiration for several generations of Latvian scientists, writers and intellectuals.