Royal Danish Library Det Kongelige Bibliotek

History and Founding

The Royal Danish Library (Danish: Det Kongelige Bibliotek) was founded in 1648 by King Frederik III, who established it as a royal institution to collect and preserve the intellectual and cultural output of Denmark. It is the national library of Denmark and one of the largest libraries in the Nordic countries. The library was opened to the public in 1793 and became state property in 1849 with the abolition of the absolute monarchy. A landmark development occurred in 1697 with the introduction of legal deposit legislation, requiring publishers to submit copies of all works produced in Denmark — a practice that continues today, extended to digital materials including the Danish web.

In 2005, the library merged with the Danish National Library for Science and Medicine (UB2). In 2008, the Danish Folklore Archive was incorporated. In 2017, a major merger with the State and University Library in Aarhus (founded 1902) unified national library services across Copenhagen and Aarhus sites, creating the combined organization now known as the Royal Danish Library.

Facilities

The main library is located at Slotsholmen, Copenhagen harbour. The original Slotsholmen building was completed in 1906 and designed by Hans Jørgen Holm in a Roman-influenced classical style. In 1999, the iconic Black Diamond extension opened — a striking modern building clad in black granite designed by architects schmidt hammer lassen, housing a concert hall alongside library facilities. Additional sites include the Aarhus book tower (Victor Albecks Vej), the Art Library at Charlottenborg, and faculty libraries for the University of Copenhagen.

Collections and Holdings

As of 2017, the library held nearly 37 million physical volumes and over 2.4 million electronic titles. Through legal deposit, it holds copies of virtually all Danish printed works since the 17th century, as well as items dating back to the first Danish books printed in 1482. UNESCO Memory of the World inscribed items in the collection include the manuscripts of Hans Christian Andersen (2015) and the Søren Kierkegaard archives (2017). The manuscript collection — established simultaneously with the library in 1648 — includes major treasures such as Tycho Brahe's astronomical protocols (acquired 1655), Icelandic manuscripts, and the Copenhagen Psalter. The library holds an extensive collection of Icelandic manuscripts in Den gamle kongelige samling and Den nye kongelige samling.

Notable Materials for Journalism and Media Research

The library's Mediestream platform provides online access to a unique digital collection of historical newspapers, radio and TV programmes, and cinema advertisements. The DR-arkivet offers access to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's archive. Tidsskrift.dk provides full-text access to Danish professional, scientific, and cultural periodicals dating back to the 19th century. The Library Open Access Repository (LOAR), established in 2016, serves as an open-access platform for Danish research data and publications.

Access and Usage

The library is open to anyone over the age of 18 with a genuine need to use the collections. Special rules apply for rare and valuable items. Annual circulation exceeds 11.4 million loans, the large majority of which are electronic. The library has approximately 32,196 active registered users and an annual budget of around 394 million Danish kroner. It provides developer APIs for accessing datasets including aerial photographs, images, and literary texts.