Why visit Italian Libraries?
Italian Libraries Overview
Stacks and Call Numbers
National and State Libraries
Online Services
SBN
MAI
AIB-WEB
Computer Commands
Library Terms
Archives
Bookstores
Internet Cafes
Because of its unique history of unification, Italy has two National Central Libraries in Florence and Rome. They are similar to our Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The National Central Library of Florence (Biblioteca nazionale centrale di Firenze) merged two important Florentine libraries and was established as unified Italy's first national library in 1862. Even though Florence is no longer the political capital of Italy, its library has retained National Central status. Today, a copy of every Italian publication is deposited to this library and cataloged there.
The National Central Library of Rome (Biblioteca nazionale centrale di Roma) was founded in 1875 after the capital of unified Italy shifted south. This library is designated as a copyright library and is also charged with collecting foreign publications that document Italian culture.
In addition to the two National Central Libraries, the Italian government manages 46 libraries throughout the peninsula, usually referred to as "state" libraries.
State libraries in Italy have a public service mission and do not charge for book lending or reference services. They also offer a relatively high level of public internet access. In contrast to public libraries in the United States, however, they acquire small numbers of new books each year. Instead, their collections are primarily historical.
