Library of Geneva
The Library of Geneva ( BGE ) ( French Bibliothèque de Genève ), known until 2006 as the Public University Library ( Bibliothèque publique et universitaire BPU), is one of the oldest universal libraries in Switzerland . It is mentioned for the first time in 1561 as a working tool of the academy founded by Jean Calvin in 1559 . Today the Geneva Library is both a public library with a patrimonial mandate and the central library of Geneva University. Its mission is similar to that of a national library, as the Geneva library tries to cover the Genovensia as exhaustively as possible.
Duration
The incunabula and manuscript section forms the most important part of the collection. It also contains particularly valuable and rare documents that arouse the interest of researchers around the world. Other, more specialized types of documents complete the collection: posters, Geneva iconography , maps and plans.
The collection of publications comprises more than two million volumes and covers all areas of knowledge. However, the library has focused on the humanities and social sciences since the 20th century because of the increasing number of books published.
In connection with the mandatory levy stipulated by law in Geneva, the library receives all publications that are printed or published in Geneva (the so-called Genovensia ), provided they are books, magazines or posters.
See also
Web links
- Geneva Library website (French)
Coordinates: 46 ° 11 '56 " N , 6 ° 8' 42.9" E ; CH1903: 500165 / 117206