University of Warsaw Library

File:Stary BUW kampus centralny 2019.jpg

The library was founded in 1816 as a direct consequence of establishing The Royal Warsaw University. Samuel Linde, a linguist, lexicographer, educator and librarian, became its first director. The library initially housed mostly theological and historical Books, the collection was however enlarged by papers from other scientific fields thanks to the right to receive Legal deposits obtained in 1819. In 1831 the library, which served as a public library at that time, already housed 134,000 volumes of books, stored in Kazimierzowski Palace.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=History of the University of Warsaw Library|url=https://www.buw.uw.edu.pl/o-nas/historia/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 January 2021|website=www.buw.uw.edu.pl}} File:20070206 uw buw hall glowny biblioteki.jpg: Kazimierz Twardowski, Jan Łukasiewicz, Alfred Tarski and Stanisław Leśniewski.]]After the fall of the November uprising the same year, the institution had been closed, and most of the collection taken away by Russian authorities to Saint Petersburg.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=History of Print Room|url=https://www.buw.uw.edu.pl/zbiory-specjalne/gabinet-rycin/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 January 2021|website=www.buw.uw.edu.pl}} In 1862, the university was reinstated in Warsaw under the name of Main School and so was the library, which was renamed as the Main Library.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Szkoła Główna Warszawska|url=https://www.gutenberg.czyz.org/index.php?word=75778|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 January 2021|website=www.gutenberg.czyz.org}} The collection numbered 260,000 book volumes.

In 1871, Main School became the Imperial University of Warsaw{{Cite web|title=Polska – dzieje – okres tępienia polskości w zaborze rosyjskim i pruskim|url=https://www.gutenberg.czyz.org/index.php?word=60810|access-date=8 January 2021|website=www.gutenberg.czyz.org}} and the Main Library fell under the control of that University. The collection was growing constantly, and a much needed new building was constructed in 1891–1894 at Krakowskie Przedmieście. The building was designed to fit one million volumes. Before the outbreak of World War I the collection had grown to 610,000 volumes. During the war some of the most precious books and Manuscripts were taken away to Rostov-on-Don by fleeing tsarist authorities.{{Cite web|title=История ЮФУ|url=https://sfedu.ru/www/stat_pages22.show?p=HIS/main/M|access-date=8 January 2021|website=sfedu.ru}} After the 1921 Treaty of Riga, most of the works were returned to Poland. At the outbreak of World War II, the library held about one million items. During the war part of the most precious collections, 14% or 130 000 volumes, was damaged by fire.{{Cite book|last=Majewski|first=Piotr|title=Wojna i kultura. Instytucje kultury polskiej w okupacyjnych realiach Generalnego Gubernatorstwa 1939–1945.|publisher=Wydawnictwo TRI|year=2005|isbn=8374360038|location=Warszawa|pages=271}} Thanks to the dedicated librarians some of the library's resources survived the war after being walled-in in the basement.

After the war the library focused mainly on recovering its collections and acquiring new ones from abandoned properties of Germans and Polish nobility. During the first five post-war years, the library's collection increased by 350 thousand volumes and remained the largest academic library in Poland. Unfortunately communist authorities’ deliberate reduction of funds for the university has automatically caused significant limitations in extending the library's resources. Until the end of 1990s the library's poor accommodation situation corresponded with the difficulties in collecting, organising and circulating its collections.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

During the 1980s the library was one of the prominent centres of free thought and activism. The members of anti-communist resistance, including the famous Solidarność movement, were frequent guests to the library.{{Cite book|last=Michalski|first=Marek|title="Poczęty" w BUW: Wspomnienia o Bibliotece Uniwersyteckiej w Warszawie z lat 1977 – 1999|publisher=Biblioteka Uniwersytecka|year=2012|isbn=9788392482116|location=Warszawa|pages=}}

In the 1990s a selection procedure for a new building was initiated.{{Cite web|last=MP|first=Alicja|date=10 July 2010|title=BUW na warszawskim Powiślu obchodzi swoje dziesięciolecie|url=https://naszemiasto.pl/buw-na-warszawskim-powislu-obchodzi-swoje-dziesieciolecie/ar/c13-4449700|access-date=8 January 2021|website=Nasze Miasto|language=pl-PL}} A design by architects Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski was chosen,{{Cite book|last=Leśniakowska|first=Marta|title=Architektura w Warszawie 1989–2001|publisher=Arkada Pracownia Historii Sztuki|year=2002|isbn=83-908950-5-6|location=Warszawa|pages=66}} and the new library building was opened on 15 December 1999.{{Cite web|title=Otwarcie nowego gmachu Biblioteki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego|url=https://ekartkazwarszawy.pl/kartka/otwarcie-nowego-gmachu-biblioteki-uniwersytetu-warszawskiego/|access-date=8 January 2021|website=e-kartka z Warszawy|language=pl}} Six months before, on 11 June 1999, the building was blessed by Pope John Paul II.[http://www.buw.uw.edu.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=305&Itemid=76 Wizyta Papieża Jana Pawła II] at the official website[http://mateusz.pl/jp99/pd/0611/ Piątek, 11 czerwca 1999 – Podsumowanie siódmego dnia pielgrzymki] at Mateusz.pl – Christian web service On 15 June 2001 president of the United States, George W. Bush gave a speech in the new library building to the university community and the residents of Warsaw.{{Cite web|title=BUW. Tu pracował Miłosz, przemawiał Bush|url=https://polskieradio.pl/art179_1540131|access-date=8 January 2021|website=PolskieRadio.pl}}

File:Warsaw University library (22572).jpg

As of 2019, there were 6,236,619 items at the University of Warsaw Library and 40 faculty libraries of the University of Warsaw.Sprawozdanie Rektora Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego z działalności uczelni w 2019 roku, Warszawa 2020 https://www.uw.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/sprawozdanie_jmr_2019_z_zalacznikami.pdf The collection of the University Library itself consists of 3,393,209 items, including 2,200,073 non-serial publications, 782,064 periodicals and 407,511 items from special collections.{{cite web|title=Sprawozdanie Biblioteki Uniwersyteckiej w Warszawie i bibliotek wydziałowych UW za rok 2019|url=https://www.buw.uw.edu.pl//wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BUW_sprawozdanie_2019_na_www.pdf|location=Warszawa|date=2020}} The number of BUW readers in 2019 was 112,826.

The library has the right to receive legal deposits.{{cite web|title=Wykaz bibliotek uprawnionych do otrzymywania bibliotecznych egzemplarzy obowiązkowych - Biblioteka Narodowa|url=https://www.bn.org.pl/dla-wydawcow/egzemplarz-obowiazkowy/liczba-egzemplarzy-obowiazkowych|agency=www.bn.org.pl|access-date=2021-02-07}}

In 2007 the University of Warsaw established its own electronic library. The resources available online mostly consist of public domain materials and publications for which the university was granted license by the right holders. Until 2019 the electronic library operated under a short name "e-bUW". In September 2019 a new version was launched and since then the library is officially called Crispa.{{cite web|title=CRISPA - Historia logo|url=https://crispa.uw.edu.pl/info/logo-history|agency=crispa.uw.edu.pl|access-date=2020-12-15}}

In the years 1996–2013, over 200 issues of the "BUW Bulletin" - a periodical describing important moments in the life of the library were published. Until November 2010 the Bulletin was issued in paper and electronic form. Since December 2010 the Bulletin is issued only in electronic form.{{Cite web|title=O nas|url=http://buwlog.uw.edu.pl/o-nas|access-date=2021-04-16|website=BuwLOG|language=pl-PL}} Since March 2014, librarians describe the library's reality, discuss and share their professional experience, and publish their own works at BuwLOG.{{Cite web|title=Pierwszy wpis na pierwszy dzień wiosny|url=http://buwlog.uw.edu.pl/pierwszy-wpis-na-pierwszy-dzien-wiosny|access-date=2021-04-16|website=BuwLOG|language=pl-PL}}

BUW for owls (pol. BUW dla sów) was an event at the University of Warsaw Library. For the two weeks preceding and during examination the library stayed open for students until 5 in the morning. BUW for owls was introduced before the winter session in 2010. The library remained open until morning for two weeks, except on weekends. The event was enthusiastically received by the students and then started taking place regularly: twice a year before the winter and summer examination sessions.{{Cite web|title=IV. 20 lat BUW na Powiślu… GDY NIE PORA NA SEN…|url=http://buwlog.uw.edu.pl/20-lat-buw-na-powislu-gdy-nie-pora-na-sen|access-date=2021-04-16|website=BuwLOG|language=pl-PL}} The idea became popular with attendance reaching 370 students a night.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

In 2023 BUW for Owls was recognized by the IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award for the strategic, innovative and successful approach to library marketing.{{Cite web |title=IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award Winners 2023 |url=https://www.ifla.org/news/ifla-pressreader-international-marketing-award-winners-2023/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=IFLA |language=en-US}}

Starting October 2023 the library is open around-the-clock all week long except some holidays.{{cite news |title=Biblioteka Uniwersytecka będzie czynna przez całą dobę już na stałe |url=https://tvn24.pl/tvnwarszawa/najnowsze/warszawa-biblioteka-uniwersytecka-bedzie-czynna-przez-cala-dobe-juz-na-stale-7359989 |access-date=25 September 2023 |work= TVN24: TVN Warszawa |publisher= TVN |date=25 September 2023 |language=Polish}}

In 2019, for the first time, the library was open without the librarians on site, in a so-called self-service mode. The change in the operating mode was a direct result of the evident demand of the university community for extended opening hours of the library during the summer months.{{Cite web |editor=Anna Wołodko |editor2=Magdalena Rowińska |editor3=Katarzyna Ślaska |title=Sprawozdanie BUW za rok 2019 |url=https://www.buw.uw.edu.pl//wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BUW_sprawozdanie_2019_na_www.pdf}}

BUW participates in a joint project of 7 Warsaw academic libraries, which provides the Warsaw academic community with convenient access to circulating library resources of the cooperating libraries.{{Cite web|title=Bibliowawa - Basic rules|url=http://www.bibliowawa.bg.pw.edu.pl/index.php/en/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=www.bibliowawa.bg.pw.edu.pl}} Warsaw Reciprocal Borrowing Programme was launched on 18 December 2017.{{Cite web|title=Biblioteka Główna Politechniki Warszawskiej - Usługa BiblioWawa|url=https://bg.pw.edu.pl/index.php/aktualnosci-pl/635-usluga-bibliowawa|access-date=2021-04-16|website=bg.pw.edu.pl}} Apart from BUW, the project is co-created by the following libraries of Warsaw's universities: Maria Grzegorzewska University, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Medical University of Warsaw, Military University of Technology.{{Cite web|title=Bibliowawa - Participating Libraries|url=http://www.bibliowawa.bg.pw.edu.pl/index.php/en/participating-libraries|access-date=2021-04-16|website=www.bibliowawa.bg.pw.edu.pl}}

University of Warsaw Library is a member of the following associations and organizations:

• AANLA – Association des Amis des Nouvelles du Livre Ancien;
• CERL – Consortium of European Research Libraries;
• IAC – International Advisory Committee of Keepers of Public Collection of Graphic Art;
• IAML – International Association of Music Libraries;
• ICAM – International Confederation of Architectural Museums;
• IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions;
• LIBER – Ligue des Bibliothèques Europeennes de Recherche;
• OCLC – Online Computer Library Center Global Council, EMEA Regional Council.

In October 2023 librarians found several Russian-language 19th-century records missing, intentionally replaced with placeholders by unknown perpetrators. Due to the incident, the head librarian Anna Wołodko, as well as deputy director of special records Katarzyna Ślaska got expelled from their respective offices.{{cite web |title=Z Biblioteki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego zginęły cenne woluminy. Rektor poinformował o zwolnieniu dyrektorki |url=https://tvn24.pl/tvnwarszawa/srodmiescie/warszawa-kradziez-w-bibliotece-uniwersytetu-warszawskiego-zwolniona-dyrektorka-placowki-decyzje-rektora-oswiadczenie-zwolnionej-kobiety-7417559 |website=TVN Warszawa |language=pl |date=31 October 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Wołodko |first1=Anna |title=Anna Wołodko – Oświadczenie |url=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0puDz1o1Yn77mKPM4dVtpn5aCvjXJ8k5focVzqcdZCRA1HFHnfVanB75d7SGooKqjl&id=100000158603581 |website=Facebook |access-date=1 November 2023 |date=31 October 2023}}

The distinct new building includes a botanical garden, located on the roof. The garden designed by landscape architect Irena Bajerska, has an area of one hectare, and is one of the largest roof gardens in Europe.[http://www.buw.uw.edu.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=286&Itemid=91 Ogród] at the official website

It is freely accessible not only to the academia, but also to the public.

The upper part of the garden consists of four parts: the Golden Garden (to the north), the Silver Garden (to the east), the Crimson Garden (to the south) and the Green Garden (to the west). It is available from April to October while from 1 November to 31 March only the Lower Garden is open.

The main facade on the Dobra Street side contains large blocks of classical texts in various scripts, including the Old Polish text of Jan Kochanowski, Classical Greek text by Plato and Hebrew script from the Book of Ezekiel.

In 2004, Kyoei Steel company donated a traditional tea pavilion, Chashitsu to the Department of Japanese and Korean Studies of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw. It was placed on level 2 of the University Library. The pavilion designed by Teruhito Iijima and its surroundings were built of natural materials (wood, bamboo, paper, clay, stone).{{Cite web|title=Japoński tradycyjny pawilon herbaciany (chashitsu) w gmachu Biblioteki Uniwersyteckiej w Warszawie|url=https://www.chashitsu.japonia.net.pl/pawilon.html}} Various events take place in the Chashitsu: university classes devoted to Japanese tea culture, presentations and open chanoyu workshops, for example during the Japanese Days at the University of Warsaw.{{Cite web|title=Pawilon herbaciany Kaian 懐庵|url=https://www.szkola.japonia.net.pl/o-nas/pawilon-herbaciany/}} The pavilion is the only original example of traditional Japanese architecture in Poland.{{Cite web|title=Pawilon herbaciany otwarto w Bibliotece Uniwersyteckiej|url=https://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/1,54420,2347333.html?disableRedirects=true|access-date=2021-04-20|website=warszawa.wyborcza.pl}}

File:Powiśle, Warsaw, Poland - panoramio - Michal Gorski (9).jpg|View from the upper garden (roof)

File:Garden of Warsaw University Library - View from Roof.jpg|View from the upper garden (roof)

File:Garden of Warsaw University Library - 1.jpg|View from lower garden

Warsaw University rooftop garden (22537p).jpg|Waterway between upper and lower garden

Warsaw University rooftop garden (22513p)2.jpg|Vines cover the building exterior

Warsaw University rooftop garden (22554).jpg|Trellis in the upper garden

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|University of Warsaw Library}}

• [http://www.buw.uw.edu.pl/ Official website]
• [https://crispa.uw.edu.pl/ Crispa Electronic Library of University of Warsaw]

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Category:Academic libraries in Poland

Category:Buildings and structures in Warsaw

Category:Library buildings completed in 1999

Category:University of Warsaw

Category:1816 establishments in the Russian Empire

Category:Libraries in Warsaw

Category:Parks in Warsaw

Category:Botanical gardens in Poland

Category:Libraries established in 1816

Category:Powiśle, Warsaw