Göttingen State and University Library

The directors are Thomas Kaufmann, Bela Gipp (Scientific Director) and Kathrin Brannemann (Administrative Director). The library works under a dispersed system, with six branch libraries located in various academic departments, supplementing the central collection housed in the Central Library (construction completed in 1992) on the main campus and the Historical Library Building in downtown. The Historical Building holds manuscripts, rare books, maps, and a significant history-of-science collection and works in its special collections. In addition, its original core, the SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Göttingen, has been made into an exhibition and lecture center through adaptive reuse and reconstruction. It possesses a Gutenberg Bible (one of only four perfect vellum copies known to exist). The SUB Göttingen has maintained the Göttingen Center for Retrospective Digitization (GDZ) since 1997. It also operates the Göttingen University Press, which has been expanding since its foundation in 2003 and is committed to the Open access principle. Since its establishment in 2004, the library's Department for Research and Development has been instrumental in the development of new services such as the establishment of virtual research environments and infrastructures for scientific data and services. Within the framework of the Collection of German Prints, the SUB Göttingen collects publications of the 18th century. Since 2014, it has operated the Göttingen eResearch Alliance (together with the University Computing Centre (GWDG). The library coordinates the DARIAH-DE project for the development of research infrastructures in Germany, and supports the consortial establishment of open access research infrastructures (OpenAIRE 2020, COAR) across Europe and worldwide.

• Native Name — Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen • Name — Göttingen State and University Library • Country — Germany • Type — Academic library, regional library • Location — Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany • Items Collected — 8 million • Illustration — Extension of the library (1878 to 1882), now known as the Prinzenstraßen Building

The Library was founded in 1734, three years before the university. Its first director was Johann Matthias Gesner, who remained in the position until his death in 1763. It soon was considered one of the leading research libraries in Germany, pioneering cataloging systems (then in large bound volumes). Christian Gottlob Heyne's directorship (1763–1812) laid the basis for the library's status. However, a half century of reduced financing then weakened the library's status. Only in 1866, with official Prussian sponsorship, did the library again begin to flourish. Both Heinrich Heine and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used and commented on the library in their time. • Illustration — Library hall (~1820) • Illustration — The library (~1800) • Illustration — Heyne Hall (2022) • Illustration — Bookshelves in the Heyne Hall (2022) In 1992, a new central library building located just outside the city center (Altstadt) was opened. The previous main building, now the Historical Building, houses manuscripts, rare books and some other special collections. Meanwhile, department-specific collections are still held in facilities at various academic departments.

Göttingen State and University Library is associated with Germany. Recorded from 1734. It comprises Göttingen State and University Library and Forestry Divisional Library.