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Top 10 Largest Libraries in the World

Top 10 Largest Libraries in the World

A library is a collection of materials, books or media. It can be anything where the things are stored. The material is accessible for use by the people of the world. The article deals with the library of books and printable material. There is a librarian to help access the library books. The library books are preserved and arranged properly. At a single place, you get millions of books published worldwide. With the time, the number of books get added up in the library. Let’s check the details of top 10 largest libraries in the world.

#1 Library of Congress

Library of Congress No 1 Largest Library in the World
Library of Congress / Image by Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The world’s largest library is the Library of Congress. The library is at Washington, DC, USA. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. With a huge collection of Various Items, it is the number one library of the world. There are more than 167 million number of items in Catalog. The library of Congress started in April 1800. The library has about 1.9 million visitors per year. Anyone 16 years or older can come in to use the Library. The items of the library are Accessible in both online and at the library.

#2 British Library

British Library 2nd Largest Library in the World
British Library / Image by Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The British Library is the national library of Great Britain. It is formed by the British library Act 1972. The big library holds more than 150 millions items. The Category includes electronic books, periodicals, microfilms and rare manuscripts. The Museum, present building, is designed by Sir Robert Smirke. The library is accessible to everyone with need for knowledge. The number of Items is added with the time. The British Library is the second-largest library in the world. It has about 1.48 million visitors per year.

#3 New York Public Library

New York Public Library 3rd Biggest Library in the World
New York Public Library / Image by Detroit Publishing Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The New York Public Library, NYPL is a public library system in New York City. The great library of the United States is, with nearly 53 million items. It is the second-largest library of US. At world level, it ranks Third in the largest category of library. The New York public library is located at 92 locations, with Manhattan as its main branch. There are 17.3 million visitors per year and, 3150 staff working with the big library.

#4 Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada / Image by I, Padraic Ryan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Library and Archives Canada LAC is among the largest library of the world. It is the federal institution, with rich documentary heritage of Canada. LAC has a large collection of about 54 million items in catalog. The library is established 18 years ago, on May 2004. The National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada are merged. Some of the content of LAC is available online.

#5 Shanghai Library

Shanghai Library one of Top 10 Largest Libraries in the World
Shanghai Library / Image by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Shanghai Library is the municipal library of Shanghai, China. It is the largest library of China. The library is the second-tallest library in the world. The building has a tower that resembles a lighthouse. The height of the tower is 348 feet. The library is at 24 stories of the big tower. Its year of opening is 1952. The library is a huge collection of 50 million+ items in the catalog. Shanghai Library is among the largest library of the world at number five position.

#6 Russian State Library

Russian State Library
Russian State Library / Image by Mrken71 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Located in Moscow, Russian State Library is the National library of Russia. It is the largest library of the country. The library rank Sixth for the biggest world library. Its holding crosses over 47 millions. It is a federal library, overseen by the ministry of culture. 161 years ago old library has three branches. Russian State Library is access for everyone from the world with valid ID proof. There are items in 247 languages of the world. The library has several buildings of varying architectural styles.

#7 National Diet Library

National Diet Library
National Diet Library / Image by 663highland, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The National diet Library NDL is the national library of Japan. It is among the largest library of the world. The library is established in 1948 year. There are 27 branches for the library. Main branches of the library are in Tokyo and Kyoto. The library is visited by about 654,000 visitors per year. There are about 41.8 million+ number of items in Catalog. This counts for the NDL at number seven for biggest world library.

#8 Bibliothèque nationale de France

Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France / Image by Vincent Desjardins, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Bibliothèque nationale de France is the national library of France (BnF) located in Paris. The library is known for collection of precious objects and artworks. These are displayed in the BnF museum. The library is accessible to anyone in need to study. There are about 2300 staff engaged with the big library. Established in 1461, it is 562 years old library. With 40 million+ items, the BnF is the eighth-biggest library of the world.

#9 National Library of Russia

National Library of Russia
National Library of Russia / Image by Alex ‘Florstein’ Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At number nine is the National Library of Russia, at Saint Petersburg. The approximate visitors for the library are about one million per year. Reading rooms are free for Russian citizen. Foreign visitors are limited by the period of their visa. The library includes books, journals, newspapers, and official publications. There are good items for sound and music record as well in the library. The NLR is the second-biggest library collection in the Russian.

#10 The National Library of China

The National Library of China
The National Library of China / Image by N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The National Library of China is the tenth-largest library in the world. It is Located in Beijing, China. The National library of China has over five million visitors per year. The great library is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The national library of China has the largest collection of Chinese literature. It’s a place for the biggest historical documents in the world. The National Library is a major research and public library, with items in 123 languages. The library has the largest collection in Asia.

Libraries are the centers for self-education. For many people around the world, it is university for them. Major part of life can be spent in library for studies. Which famous library of the world you had visited? Every town in the world should have a library at the center of the city. Do you agree with the statement? Your feedbacks are important to us.

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