The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine

Main scientific information centre of the country.

The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine is the largest library in the country, established in 1918 as a center for information, research, culture and publishing.

The collection contains more than 15 million items. This unique collection includes books, magazines, serials, maps, sheet music, fine arts materials, manuscripts, rare printed books and incunabula, newspapers, and documents of untraditional materials. The library has the most complete collection of Slavic writing, archives of outstanding world and Ukrainian scientists and cultural persons. The holdings include the collection of the Presidents of Ukraine, archive copies of Ukrainian printed documents from 1917, and archives of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Annually, the library receives 160.000-180.000 documents (books, magazines, newspapers, etc.). Holdings include all Ukrainian publications and copies of all Ukrainian candidate and doctoral theses. The library exchanges materials with more than 1.500 research and academic institutions and libraries from 80 countries. As a United Nations depository since 1964, the library receives all English and Russian language publications from the United Nations and its special institutions.

Materials may be searched through print and online library catalogs, card indexes, and reference databases. Materials from 1994 to present are included in the electronic card catalog. There are more than 30 department print card catalogs arranged by subject and classification.

Each year, about 500.000 readers use the library resources and receive 5 million documents. Each day, about 1.800-2.000 scientists, specialists, post-graduate students, and students visit the library. The readers are served in 16 specialized reading rooms of the main library complex, and 6 reading rooms at the branch site that houses collections of manuscripts, incunabula and rare books, prints and reproductions, music editions, Jewish manuscripts and printed editions, the largest newspaper collection in Ukraine, and the archives of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The library serves governmental bodies such as Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine, the President’s administration and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. For these bodies, the library provides not only traditional library services, but also prepares reviews and analytical materials.

The library serves as a research institute in the fields of library science, bibliographical sciences, book sciences and information technologies. The library publishes the magazine Library News and annually hosts international scientific conferences.

The library has more than 700 computers in use for creating the National Electronic Library of Ukraine and to serve readers by providing electronic information resources.

The library has more than 40 departments, grouped by fields (such as library sciences, Ukrainian books, manuscripts, archived sciences, bibliographical research) and centers (such as preservation and restoration, culture and education, computer technologies, and publishing). The library has about 900 employees (70% librarians, 17% scientists, 13% auxiliary staff).