National Library of Ireland NLI Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann

Overview

The National Library of Ireland (NLI; Irish: Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is Ireland's national library and library of record, located primarily on Kildare Street in Dublin. Established by the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act of 1877, it holds over 12 million items including books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, photographs, prints, drawings, music, and digital materials. The NLI is a reference library and provides free access to its collections and exhibitions to all visitors.

History and Founding

The NLI was established by an act of the British Parliament in 1877, which transferred the bulk of the Royal Dublin Society's library holdings — including the Joly Collection of approximately 25,000 volumes donated by Dr. Jasper Robert Joly in 1863 — to state ownership. The NLI's current building on Kildare Street, designed by architects Thomas Newenham Deane and Son in the Victorian Palladian style, was completed between 1885 and 1890. After the foundation of the Irish Free State, responsibility for the NLI passed to the Department of Education. Under the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act of 1927, the NLI was granted legal deposit status. It became an autonomous cultural institution in 2005.

Collections

The NLI holds the largest collection of Irish newspapers on the island of Ireland. The manuscript collections include the literary papers of W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, and Seamus Heaney. The National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar houses its photographic collections. The NLI also holds major genealogical holdings including Catholic parish registers, Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books, estate papers, and trade directories.

Journalism and Media Holdings

The NLI's Irish newspaper collection is the most comprehensive in existence, with holdings in print, microfilm, and digitized format. The collection is a primary resource for press historians and researchers in Irish media history.

Access

The NLI operates from four locations in Dublin. The main building on Kildare Street houses the primary reading rooms and exhibitions. Access to exhibitions is free; a Reader's Ticket is required for the reading rooms.