Let us get our hands dirty as we write on 15 Largest Libraries In The World 2020 ranking based on Catalogued Size, so many readers have been in the quest to know which congress the largest Library was situated. So many questions have come from various quarters asking what are the Top Best Libraries in the world and top largest Libraries in the world, just take time with us we will give you every bit of information you need to know about the top Largest Libraries and top Best Libraries in the world.
One of the places that have helped our educational system all over the world is the library, you can access different libraries with various and huge number of academic papers, references, journals and so many, but one thing is certain, no room can occupy the whole information on earth but we can cover at least a large number of information to be documented, so we will see the libraries in the world that have the largest Catalogues size and every other information you may wish to know.
Here are the top questions asked by our readers As regarding Top Largest Libraries In the World
- What university has the biggest library?
- How many books are in the largest library in the world?
- What is the biggest library in America?
- What is the World Largest Library?
- What is the 2nd largest library in the world in collection size?
TOP 15 LARGEST LIBRARIES IN THE WORLD 2020 RANKING BASED ON CATALOG SIZE
- #1. Library of Congress
- Catalogue: 164 million+
Annual Budget: US$642.4 million
The library current data and statistics are as follow
- Printed Materials: 38 million printed materials
- Sound recording: 3.6 million sound recordings
- Images: 14 million and more images
- Manuscripts: 70 million rare manuscripts
- Maps and Atlas: 5.5 million maps.
- digitized materials: 15 million library items are digitized
- There are millions of unclassified materials as well present in these libraries.
Here on the list of the top 15 largest Libraries in the world is the well-known Library of Congress, this library was fixed in this position, not because of building capacities or looks, but this library is one of the oldest and double to be one of the Biggest Library in the territory of United States Of America. This library holds over 164 million plus of catalogue not only that but has over millions of publications and collected papers in over 450 languages of the world. This library with a huge amount of money allocated to it which is about $642.4 Million, in it is procurement, over 2/3 of all the books purchased are written in foreign languages. This library also has the unedited version of the Gutenberg Bible.
In recourse to further enhances the standard, over $6 million US Dollars are invested in the digitization of this library. Also, this library has an integrated database with her operation which makes searching for information more accessible and relevant.
- # British Library
- Catalogue: More than 150 million
Annual Budget: £141 million
Before this library was made a library, iWorld one of the integral parts of the British Museum where archaeological and historical artefacts are kept for future reference. This library sat on the second position of the largest Libraries in the world because of the catalogue strength. In 1973, this library was detached from the British Museum, and it was attached with other libraries from growing institutions to form a national Library which was backed up by the Library Act of 1972. One of the papers that made this library popular Sir Hans Sloane and Robert Jerley collections. In this library, because it was formerly a Museum, it contains King’s collection such as the collected King George III books and of course it was the old Royal Library, so it is expected to house many ancients’ scripts and books.
Library’s most important historical collection includes many rare manuscripts of Sir Hans Sloane and Robert Jarley. It also includes King’s Library (collection of books assembled by King George III) and Old Royal Library.
This library is housing over 30,000 images from ancient’s archives and past histories; you can find the books of the favourite Leonardo da Vinci in this library.
RELATED POSTS:
TOP 10 POOREST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
TOP 12 HOTTEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
WHO IS THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD 2020?
- #3. New York Public Library
- Catalogue: 55 million
- Annual Budget: US$250 million
Statistics show that New York Public Library receives nothing below 18 million visitors per year, this was not because of its gigantic nature rather owing to the catalogue strength this library commands. It can be seen all over the city of New York. This Library was the second largest in the whole of United States but it sat on the 3rd positions on the world ranking of largest Libraries. This library granted operates an open library, it is accessible free of charge by many, it operates about 87 branches in the whole world, you will find in Manhattan, the Bronx and another part in the United States. The library houses over 700,000 images in its digital channel. In the year 2006, this library receives the award of Best Research Site which was presented to the Library by delegations from International Delegation of Museum Professionals.
- #4. Library and Archives Canada
- Catalogue: 54 million
- Annual Budget: C$116.9 million
The library current data and statistics are as follow
- Printed Materials: 20 million printed materials
- Images: 24 million and more images
- digitized materials: digital data of more than 1000 terabytes.
This library was purposely established to keep and preserved Canada historical values which include the culture among other things. LAC was established in cooperation with the Canadian National Institution in the year 2004 which was as a result of the British North America Act.
This library has its online documents which are majorly doctoral thesis; you can also access their fragile and items that are vulnerable on their online platform.
- #5. Russian State Library
- Annual Budget: 1.6 billion Rubles
- Catalogue: 44 million
Statistics of Data Present In Russian State Library are
- Printed Books: 17 million
- Journals: 13 million journals
- This library houses books that are written in over 247 languages of the world.
In the whole of Russia, Russia State Library is the largest and best. This Library was established in the year 1862, not that this library is the largest it is also the oldest of all the libraries present in Russia capital. The total number of items present in this library is about 44 million altogether.
One of the cultures that were integrated in Russia is that any book that is published in the countries must have their copies in the State library which was the culture that has started from 1920 even to the fall of USSR in 1991. This was practices effective because of the law that was enacted to make it compulsory for every publishers and writer in the country.
- #6. National Diet Library
- Annual Budget: ¥21.8 billion
- Catalogue: 41.88 million
It will interest you to know that this Library is the largest in Japan and it has the following data and collections
- Maps: this library houses about 440,000 maps of Japan and other nations.
- Science Books: this Library houses about 500,00 sciences books.
- Documents: it houses over 30 million documents which also includes the postwar occupation
This library was founded in the year 1948 which was from a deliberate act of merging the library from the house of peers with the library in the house of representatives. This was because it is to assist the members who are elected to the national Diets house to have enough publications and materials to review to pass a favourable law to the general masses. These libraries have major operational centres at Kyoto and in Tokyo.
- #7. Bibliothèque Nationale de France
- Catalogue: 40 million
- Annual Budget: €254 million
Here are the library data and statistics
- Printed Documents: 4 million
- Books: 500,000
- Audio Recording: 50,000
This library was one of the ancient libraries, and it was one of the king libraries in the Louvre Palace by Charles V in the year 1368. Not until recently around 1998, there was no expansion and modern facilities in the libraries, but under the regime of Francois Mitterrand the then President of France, he restructures the library and every old facility in the premises of the library.
- #8. National Library of Russia
- Catalogue: 36.5 million
- Annual Budget: 570 million Rubles
This library is not only the largest library in Russia but also one of the oldest in the countries. It is situated in St Petersburg in Russia.
About 36 million items which include the national heritage of France and other countries, also about 15 million are just books. In these libraries, here are the varieties of important materials you can find, sound recordings, manuscripts, maps, journals, databases, newspapers, official documents, and other related data.
- #9. National Library of China
- Catalogue: 36.4 million
In the whole continent of Asia and Cities of China, National Library of China is the biggest and largest library. This library was officially commissioned in the year 1912 immediately after the Xinhai revolution, it was addressed for four good years by the name National Depository Library, but the name was officially changed in the year 1987 to the current name it bears.
You can find inscribed shells and bones in this library which was the old ways of keeping a record in China, Manuscripts, Official UN publications, Chinese Literature, and it houses some historical artefacts that are not commonly seen in any museum or library. But this library was not made accessible to the public except for research purposes and facts findings.
- #10. The Royal Library of Denmark
- Annual Budget: 385.9 million DKK
- Catalogue: 35.4 million
This library has the following data and statistics
- Documents/Image: it is housing about 20 million images couple with reports
- Books: this library has approximately 6.4 million books in her coffer
- Digital Records: the library is having over 791 Terabytes of Digital data.
- You can find various materials in this library also which includes pamphlets, manuscripts, and many other educational materials.
The Royal Library of Denmark was established by King Frederik III back in the 17th century. Denmark also emulates the culture Russia deployed which is to keep record and copy of a book written and published in Denmark in the Royal Library.
List Of Top 15 Largest Libraries in the world 2020
To complete our ranking, on the 11th position on the list of top largest Libraries in the world include
- #11. National Library of Spain
- Catalogue: 33.1 million
- Annual Budget: €47.4 million
The data available in this library includes
- Books: over 16 million books
- Images: over 5 million images which include graphics materials
- Sound materials: this library is housing over 600,000 sound materials.
When you write about the oldest libraries in entire Spain, National Library of Spain is best fit in for this position; the library is also known as the Nacional de Espana. This library was founded in the year 1712 by then King Philip V of Spain; this library was first commissioned upon establishment as a public library for all. Afterwards, a review and law were enacted to make it mandatory for every publisher to send a copy or published materials or journals to the national library, this helps to enlarge the volume of books in this library and also made it a place of full knowledge.
This library was established to see to preservation of national materials and heritage and of course centre of academics and research
- #12. German National Library
- Catalogue: 32.7 million
- Annual Budget: €52.3 million
Primarily, this library was first established to collate and keep a record of published books and related documents which includes journals and academics publications written in the German language in the year 1913. Also, it advances to collate materials and papers from international bodies which were written about Germany and her environs; these deliberate act also make it possible for the general populace to access.
The library has its operational facilities in two areas which include the Leipzig and Frankfurt, even though the two operational facilities were to see different areas, but they serve the same goals, in Berlin, there is commencement of operation which is to see to collation of audios and at the same time preserve it for retrieval.
- #13. Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- Catalogue: 26.5 million
This Library was established in the year 1714, and it was situated in St Petersburg. The establishment was upon a decree of Peter I which was to be important and crucial help to St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Since 17883, all publishers and writers in the country are also charged to make a copy of their publications available in this library to increase the scope and depth of the library.
- #14. Berlin State Library
- Catalogue: 23.4 million
Here are the statistical data available in this library
- Books: over 13 million books are found in this library.
- Journals: you can lay your hands on over 30,000 periodicals from this library
- Audio/visuals: you have access to over 3 million microfilms in this library.
This Library was established to see to a collection of data from different fields of life and to see to the preservation of these data, and upon retrieval, accurate and precise information that was whole structure and file will be retrieved.
- #15. Boston Public Library
- Catalogue: 22.4 million
- Annual Budget: US$38.9 million
This library even though it is coming at the last number of this ranking, it is the 3rd largest in the United States. It has numerous collections ranging from Manuscripts, audio recording, images and so on.
[table id=2 /]
Function of Library
No one could dispute the benefits of the library as it serves as an essential role and crucial part in the academics also in conserving national heritage.
Taking a cue from the purpose of why major countries establish their national libraries, you could figure out that it is to see the conservation of national heritage and values.
Also, it enables researchers to have in-depth materials to use in the course of their research.
Conclusion On: 15 Largest Libraries In The World 2020 Ranking Based On Catalogued Size.
Education is the key to much-hidden knowledge, many ideas and innovations have been kept on the pages of the books, recorded and well-tabled, it is the work of library and workers in the library to conserve this knowledge’s for future generations and reference for better evolvement and innovations. So that is all on our list of Largest Libraries in the world for 2020.
Comments, questions, and feedbacks are welcome, drop your observation and contribution via the comments sections, you will have our editors review your comments and questions.
Tag: 15 Largest Libraries In The World 2020 Ranking Based On Catalogued Size.