List of largest libraries
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:34:03 AM Wikipedia source
This sortable list of largest libraries includes libraries that, as measured in 2008 or subsequently, store 10 million or more items. All figures are based on data published by the libraries themselves. As there are no universally accepted standards for measuring stock, libraries may have counted their holdings in different ways, and the figures given may not be directly comparable.
Tables
· List
British Library
British Library
Name
British Library
Country
United Kingdom
Location and notes
London and Boston Spa
Catalogued size(number of items)
_0180000000200 million+
Visitors per year
_00017500001.75 million
Budget
_01625000000£162.5 million
Staff
_019771,977
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Name
Library of Congress
Country
United States
Location and notes
Washington, D.C.
Catalogued size(number of items)
_0168000000178 million+
Visitors per year
_00017500001.9 million
Budget
_19523722680US$875.4 million
Staff
_036243,149
Nation's Library
Nation's Library
Name
Nation's Library
Country
Turkey
Location and notes
Ankara
Catalogued size(number of items)
_0180000000141.7 million
Visitors per year
_00017500001.9 million
Budget
_19523722680US$24.25 million
Staff
_019771,389
Russian State Library
Russian State Library
Name
Russian State Library
Country
Russia
Location and notes
Moscow
Catalogued size(number of items)
_0044400000126.1 million
Visitors per year
_0001170000498,000
Budget
_01640000000₽2.7 billion
Staff
_019721,613
Shanghai Library
Shanghai Library
Name
Shanghai Library
Country
China
Location and notes
Shanghai
Catalogued size(number of items)
_005000000058 million
Visitors per year
_0001170000
Budget
_01640000000
Staff
_01972
New York Public Library
New York Public Library
Name
New York Public Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
92 locations in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island(2nd largest number of locations in North America).
Catalogued size(number of items)
_00550000055 million
Visitors per year
_001800000018 million
Budget
_07546275000US$250 million
Staff
_029373,000
National Library of China
National Library of China
Name
National Library of China
Country
China
Location and notes
Beijing
Catalogued size(number of items)
_003770000044.24 million
Visitors per year
_00052000005.2 million
Staff
_013651,365
National Diet Library
National Diet Library
Name
National Diet Library
Country
Japan
Location and notes
Tokyo and Kyoto
Catalogued size(number of items)
_004190000044.1 million
Visitors per year
_0000654000791,370
Budget
_07128927000¥21.8 billion
Staff
_00908908
German National Library
German National Library
Name
German National Library
Country
Germany
Location and notes
Leipzig and Frankfurt
Catalogued size(number of items)
_003420000043.7 million
Visitors per year
_000029973350,713
Budget
_01834033100€57.6 million
Staff
_00622639
Royal Danish Library
Royal Danish Library
Name
Royal Danish Library
Country
Denmark
Location and notes
Copenhagen and Aarhus
Catalogued size(number of items)
_003540000042.5 million(physical items, excl. digital)
Visitors per year
_00008503011.45 million
Budget
_02249892000523.8 million kr
Staff
_00492800+
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Name
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Country
France
Location and notes
Paris
Catalogued size(number of items)
_004000000041.66 million
Visitors per year
_00013000001.3 million
Budget
_11038967000€254 million
Staff
_026682,668
University of California Libraries
University of California Libraries
Name
University of California Libraries
Country
United States
Location and notes
Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.Restricted to students, faculty or visitors who buy a membership.
Catalogued size(number of items)
40.8 million
Budget
US$295 million
Staff
2,000+
University of Illinois Library
University of Illinois Library
Name
University of Illinois Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
Urbana, Illinois, restricted to students and faculty. [citation needed]
Catalogued size(number of items)
_004000000038 million
Budget
US$48.7 million_07546275000
National Library of Russia
National Library of Russia
Name
National Library of Russia
Country
Russia
Location and notes
Saint Petersburg
Catalogued size(number of items)
_003650000036.5 million
Visitors per year
_00009660001 million
Budget
₽569.2 million
Staff
1,850
Bavarian State Library
Bavarian State Library
Name
Bavarian State Library
Country
Germany
Location and notes
Munich
Catalogued size(number of items)
_003420000034.4 million
Visitors per year
_0000299731.1 million
Budget
_01834033100€59.1 million
Staff
_000029973805
Biblioteca Nacional de España
Biblioteca Nacional de España
Name
Biblioteca Nacional de España
Country
Spain
Location and notes
Madrid
Catalogued size(number of items)
_003310000033.1 million
Budget
_02299060450€29.2 million
Staff
_01090482
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Name
Library and Archives Canada
Country
Canada
Location and notes
Ottawa, Halifax, Winnipeg, Vancouver. Largely a free reference library.
Catalogued size(number of items)
27 million
Budget
CAD165 million
Staff
853
Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Name
Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Country
Russia
Location and notes
Saint Petersburg
Catalogued size(number of items)
_002650000026.5 million
Berlin State Library
Berlin State Library
Name
Berlin State Library
Country
Germany
Location and notes
Berlin
Catalogued size(number of items)
_002340000023.4 million
Visitors per year
_00014000001.4 million
Boston Public Library
Boston Public Library
Name
Boston Public Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
Boston, Massachusetts at 26 locations.
Catalogued size(number of items)
_002240000022.4 million
Budget
_01174200390US$38.9 million
New York State Library
New York State Library
Name
New York State Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
Albany, New York at 1 location. [citation needed]
Catalogued size(number of items)
_002000000020 million
Harvard Library
Harvard Library
Name
Harvard Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
Cambridge, Massachusetts, restricted to students and faculty or their guests.[citation needed]
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001890000018.9 million
Staff
_00922922
National Library of Sweden
National Library of Sweden
Name
National Library of Sweden
Country
Sweden
Location and notes
Stockholm
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001800000018 million
Budget
364.5 million kr
University of Michigan Library
University of Michigan Library
Name
University of Michigan Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
Ann Arbor, Michigan, at one location largely. Free borrowing for staff, students, and native and indigenous people.All others may purchase borrowing rights.
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001520000016.1 million
University of Toronto Libraries
University of Toronto Libraries
Name
University of Toronto Libraries
Country
Canada
Location and notes
Toronto, at 40 locations largely restricted to university staff and students.[citation needed]
Catalogued size(number of items)
16 million
Budget
CA$125 million
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
Name
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
Country
Ukraine
Location and notes
Kyiv
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001500000015.5 million
Visitors per year
_0000500000500,000
Budget
_0018860991050.3 million ₴
Staff
_00900900
Yale Library
Yale Library
Name
Yale Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
New Haven, Connecticut, one location for students, staff and no free borrowing access to the public.[citation needed]
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001520000015.2 million
National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
Name
National Library of Scotland
Country
Scotland
Location and notes
Edinburgh and Glasgow
Catalogued size(number of items)
65 million(physical and digital)
National Library of Iran
National Library of Iran
Name
National Library of Iran
Country
Iran
Location and notes
Tehran
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001500000015.0 million
University of Chicago Library
University of Chicago Library
Name
University of Chicago Library
Country
United States
Location and notes
Chicago
Catalogued size(number of items)
13.5 million
Visitors per year
1.1 million
Hong Kong Public Library
Hong Kong Public Library
Name
Hong Kong Public Library
Country
Hong Kong
Location and notes
Hong Kong
Catalogued size(number of items)
_001136000011.36 million
Budget
_00776200000HK$776.2 million
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library
Name
Toronto Public Library
Country
Canada
Location and notes
100 locations in Toronto
Catalogued size(number of items)
10.5 million
Visitors per year
13.4 million
Budget
CA$252,300,000
Staff
2,500
National Library of Poland
National Library of Poland
Name
National Library of Poland
Country
Poland
Location and notes
Warsaw
Catalogued size(number of items)
10.6 million
| Name | Country | Location and notes | Catalogued size(number of items) | Visitors per year | Budget | Staff |
| British Library | United Kingdom | London and Boston Spa | _0180000000200 million+ | million | million | _019771,977 |
| Library of Congress | United States | Washington, D.C. | _0168000000178 million+ | million | million | _036243,149 |
| Nation's Library | Turkey | Ankara | million | million | million | _019771,389 |
| Russian State Library | Russia | Moscow | million | _0001170000498,000 | billion | _019721,613 |
| Shanghai Library | China | Shanghai | _005000000058 million | _0001170000 | _01640000000 | _01972 |
| New York Public Library | United States | 92 locations in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island(2nd largest number of locations in North America). | _00550000055 million | _001800000018 million | _07546275000US$250 million | _029373,000 |
| National Library of China | China | Beijing | million | million | _013651,365 | |
| National Diet Library | Japan | Tokyo and Kyoto | million | _0000654000791,370 | billion | _00908908 |
| German National Library | Germany | Leipzig and Frankfurt | million | _000029973350,713 | million | _00622639 |
| Royal Danish Library | Denmark | Copenhagen and Aarhus | million(physical items, excl. digital) | million | million kr | _00492800+ |
| Bibliothèque nationale de France | France | Paris | million | million | _11038967000€254 million | _026682,668 |
| University of California Libraries | United States | Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.Restricted to students, faculty or visitors who buy a membership. | million | US$295 million | 2,000+ | |
| University of Illinois Library | United States | Urbana, Illinois, restricted to students and faculty. [citation needed] | _004000000038 million | million_07546275000 | ||
| National Library of Russia | Russia | Saint Petersburg | million | _00009660001 million | million | 1,850 |
| Bavarian State Library | Germany | Munich | million | million | million | _000029973805 |
| Biblioteca Nacional de España | Spain | Madrid | million | million | _01090482 | |
| Library and Archives Canada | Canada | Ottawa, Halifax, Winnipeg, Vancouver. Largely a free reference library. | 27 million | CAD165 million | 853 | |
| Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia | Saint Petersburg | million | |||
| Berlin State Library | Germany | Berlin | million | million | ||
| Boston Public Library | United States | Boston, Massachusetts at 26 locations. | million | million | ||
| New York State Library | United States | Albany, New York at 1 location. [citation needed] | _002000000020 million | |||
| Harvard Library | United States | Cambridge, Massachusetts, restricted to students and faculty or their guests.[citation needed] | million | _00922922 | ||
| National Library of Sweden | Sweden | Stockholm | _001800000018 million | million kr | ||
| University of Michigan Library | United States | Ann Arbor, Michigan, at one location largely. Free borrowing for staff, students, and native and indigenous people.All others may purchase borrowing rights. | million | |||
| University of Toronto Libraries | Canada | Toronto, at 40 locations largely restricted to university staff and students.[citation needed] | 16 million | CA$125 million | ||
| Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine | Ukraine | Kyiv | million | _0000500000500,000 | million ₴ | _00900900 |
| Yale Library | United States | New Haven, Connecticut, one location for students, staff and no free borrowing access to the public.[citation needed] | million | |||
| National Library of Scotland | Scotland | Edinburgh and Glasgow | 65 million(physical and digital) | |||
| National Library of Iran | Iran | Tehran | million | |||
| University of Chicago Library | United States | Chicago | million | million | ||
| Hong Kong Public Library | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | million | million | ||
| Toronto Public Library | Canada | 100 locations in Toronto | million | million | CA$252,300,000 | 2,500 |
| National Library of Poland | Poland | Warsaw | million |
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