Facts about the Library
General information
The University Library is a public research library at the University of Bergen. The University Library is organized directly under the University Board and the University Director. The main task of the library is to provide information and documentation services for research, teaching and dissemination at the University of Bergen. The library also serves other institutions and users, collaborating with partners both locally, nationally, and internationally. The library is open to the general public.
The library has special collections such as photos, manuscripts, newspapers and maps. The University Library participates in BIBSYS, which runs a common database for universities and colleges in Norway. A variety of databases and digital journals are searchable online via the University network.
The University Library's collection consists of about 1.8 million volumes of books and periodicals, 284,000 photos, 3,600 manuscripts, 41 000 maps and atlases, 400,000 electronic documents, and approx. 6,200 music recordings. The University Library has 26,500 current journal subscriptions, of which 23,000 are digital. The University Library has in 2014 a basic budget of approx. 140 million NOK, including a media budget of 45 million NOK.
The University Library consists of eight specialized libraries, which are located adjacent to the faculties, and the Department of General Functions, which is located in Haakon Sheteligs square, 7.
The University Library is managed by Library Director who also represents the library externally. The Library Director ensures that the decisions of the University Director and University Board are implemented. The Library Director is responsible for the allocation of resources in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Board.
History
The University Library was established in 1948. It was based on the Bergen Museum's library collection founded in 1825. During the first years the Museum's library was located in a building that later became a child care center, adjacent to the Bergen Cathedral School. From 1831 to 1867 it was located close to Lille Lungegårdsvann in the city center, and in 1867 it moved into the Bergen Museum's new building on Nygårdshøyden. From 1851 the book collection was made available to the general public. The same year the library got a permanent librarian position with a salary. Before that only members of museum administration and members of the Museum Association were allowed to loan books from the library’s collection.
After the Bergen Public Library was established in 1874, the Museum Library started to concentrate on literature in science and archeology.
In 1898 the library moved into new and larger premises in the museum's new wing. However, in 1900s and especially the 1920s, the lack of space became noticeable, even despite several minor extensions. In the early 1900s there was initiated a process to transform the Bergen Museum into a university. In 1923 the library took over a large collection of duplicates from the University of Oslo Library. The collections increased notably in this period, from 63,000 volumes in 1915 to 200,000 volumes in 1935.
After the war, the lack of space was characterized as "catastrophic". There were initiated efforts to erect a separate building for the University Library at Nygårdshøyden. At the same time the efforts were put into building up “a full university library", after the Parliament in April 1946 adopted a decision to establish a university in Bergen. However, it took another 15 years before the new library building was completed in 1961. It happened with the help of a donation from J.L. Mowinckels shipping company. The new building had an area of approximately 6,000 m2.
From the late 1960s the University of Bergen was expanding. The number of students increased, several new faculties were established. At the same time there were plans to establish own public departments at the various faculties. As the first step in this direction the University Library started a library service at the Haukeland Hospital in 1956. In 1977 there was established the library for the natural sciences which was located in the new building for the Faculty of Natural Sciences. However, the development of full-fledged libraries adjacent to the faculties was started in 1986, by the decision of the University Board. During 1980-1990 all the faculties got specialized libraries in their own premises close to the users. The earlier collections were integrated into these libraries.
The University Library began using computing in the mid-1970s. From 1981 the library started to use the national library system BIBSYS, the procurement module in the first place. From 1 April 1983 the University Library switched to using BIBSYS catalog. The card catalog was terminated from that date. After that and especially from the 1990s there has been a large development in digtal services. Today all the most important routines are automated. Users have access to a wide range of literature and information databases. Journals in digital full text format can be accessed both from the workplace, from the public PCs at library’s departments and from the private PCs of the students and employees at the University of Bergen. In the period of 1992-2003 the library conducted a large conversion project, aimed at the transferring of the entire library's old card catalog to BIBSYS base. The catalog included approx. 1, 1 million cards.
Projects
University Library is engaged in several projects, both internal University projects and international collaborative projects.
Here you can read about our projects:
Projects in collaboration with other faculties at the University of Bergen
The University Library projects
International projects
Development of New Information Services for Moldovan Higher Economic Education