Resources

The majority of the Library’s holdings consist of print publications. The Library’s Main Stacks house about 2.5 million documents in 77 languages – books, periodicals, and serials. These are publications of comprehensive content, published in Lithuania and other countries in the 19th-21st centuries. Acquisitions of print materials are focused on scholarly literature.

The holdings of the Rare Books Department consist of books published pre-1800; bibliographic and book art rarities; books in Lithuanian published pre-1918 in Lithuania; books published pre-1945 in other countries; significant Lituanica publications published in 1800–1944; Lithuanian and Lituanica 19^th-20^th-century periodicals (published pre-1945); periodicals published pre-1800; Lithuanian emigree periodicals; art reproduction albums; visual documents (engravings, postcards, photographs); ephemera (proclamations, edicts, etc.); cartographic publications, and other rare materials.

The holdings of the Manuscript Department contain 439 collections.  The earliest materials date back to the 11th century, but most are from the 16^th–20th century.  The documents are in Latin, Ruthenian, Polish, Russian, and German; and starting from the late 16th century, also in Lithuanian.  The majority of the materials originate from the historical territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and so shed light on the history of the present Republic of Lithuania, and, to a lesser degree, of Belarus, Northern Poland, Eastern Prussia, and the Klaipėda Region.  The Manuscripts Department also holds personal archives of prominent Lithuanian scholars, academicians, artists and cultural figures of 20th-century Lithuania.

The holdings of the library contain numerous objects of cultural heritage. Some of the most interesting are available through digital collections. The digitized materials include the earliest musical manuscript held by the Library, parchments, the autograph collection, and many other fascinating items.

On this page, you will find both bibliographic databases created by the staff of the Library – Kristijonas Donelaitis, The History of Lithuania and Lithuanian Linguistics – and other databases created in Lithuania.  Registered users will have access to the subscription databases and electronic journals.

The Library began publishing in 1956. In collaboration with other institutions, it has edited and published over 200 works, the majority of which consist of various catalogues as well as subject and personal bibliographies. The Library also produces a scholarly serial publication and publishes various textual monuments.

The Library constantly acquires new titles of publications. The New Book Display is located in the Reference Reading Room and changed each Friday. The readers are also welcome to view the newly-received books, arranged by subject, on this page.

On the Library’s multimedia page, you will find video and audio recordings telling of materials from the Library’ s holdings or containing insights offered by scholars and scientists, comments from public figures, and lectures.