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Poland's Most Treasured Library
The
Jagiellonian Library together with its 42 branch
libraries at various university units house
some 4.5 million volumes of books and periodicals
in addition to its priceless special collections
of manuscripts (about 11,000 items, among them 2,500 medieval),
early printed books (roughly 92,000 items, in that
number some 2,400 issued before 1501), maps and
atlases (some 8,000 items), graphic art (approximately 24,000
items), music scores (22,000 items or so), etc.
Since 1940 the bulk of them has been stored in the
purpose-built, pre-war modern
9-storied edifice at 22 Mickiewicza Avenue in downtown Krakow.
Its new, state-of-the-art wing has doubled the building’s floor space
to some 150,000 sq. meters. Besides its main 3-story-high
reading-room that may seat 264 it has ten other specialized
reading-rooms.
Krakow's Indispensable
Mine of Knowledge
The Jagiellonian
Library is one of Poland’s three national
libraries meant to collect and preserve any
worthwhile piece of print (and handwriting if
possible). At the same time it is the oldest and
biggest university library in the country. It is
also Krakow’s chief academic library,
indispensable to the city’s 150,000-plus scientists and students. And, lastly, it serves
everybody as a public library.
In 1992 the Jagiellonian
Library launched an integrated service system and the
books acquisition as well as cataloging are automated, together with an online public catalog.
Library
Rich in History
History of
the Jagiellonian Library has been intertwined
with the evolution of Krakow’s alma mater
established in 1364. The Krakow university
library originated in book collections of various
colleges, notably the ‘Collegium Maius’. And innumerable
book donations from professors, graduates,
authors, publishers, booksellers and bibliophiles
enriched it greatly over the centuries.
Krakow University
Poland’s oldest university with its 6,700 faculty and
over 42,000 students is the
country’s second largest institution of higher
education and the best one.
Collegium Maius
15th-century impressive Grand College of
the Krakow university where Copernicus once
studied.
Krakow Old Town
Historical District
Poland's prime tourist attraction and a
must-see in Central Europe boasts numerous
world-class monuments, charming vistas,
delightful atmosphere, and the best restaurants.
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Baltazar
Behem’s Codex of 1505, one of the Jagiellonian
Library’s many marvels, duplicates the city of
Krakow oldest municipal documents yet the lively
miniature pictures from the daily life of
artisans like the above scene at a painter’s
studio make it a matchless rarity.
Study in Krakow
It's a good place to complete or
continue your studies.
Krakow's
Institutions of Higher Education
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