Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv is one of the biggest information and analytical and sociocultural centers of Ukraine, the public storage of unique handwritten and printed books, masterpieces of the Ukrainian and foreign arts, other types of documents that concentrate the national information potential created in Ukraine and in the world.
Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv is one of the leading research institutions in the sphere of library science, bibliography, book and press science, archival science, art criticism, preservation and restoration of documents. The institution publishes multi-volume research publications, bibliographic indexes, research and nonfiction works. In 1989, library was granted the status of the research institute. Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv performs functions of the academic and methodological center for libraries of institutes of the Western Scientific Center of the National Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Activities of Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv are aimed at preservation and multiplication of the resource documentary and intellectual base of the institution, provision of comprehensive high-quality and prompt library and bibliographic services for users, creation and development of own information resources, organization of access to leading databases of scientific information, expansion of library online services.
The book collection that is universal in the content, languages and types contains books, periodicals, series publications, maps, music sheets, block prints, reproductions and other types of the fine art, manuscripts, incunabula, early printed books, documents on non-traditional media with the total volume of 8 million stock-keeping units. The core of the book collection was formed by merging public and private libraries and collections that existed in Western Ukraine until 1939. In particular, the library includes book collections of Shevchenko Scientific Society, the Hall of the People, Ossolinski National Institute, Baworowski Foundation, a part of the library of Lviv Stauropegion Brotherhood, numerous book collections of Prosvita Society, confiscated monastery libraries, private collections, as well as libraries of non-governmental organizations of Lviv.
The library has one of the biggest and most important collection of the Ukrainian literature in the world — handwritten and printed publications of the 11th – early 20th century, unique collections of incunabula (51 units), palaeotypes (867 units), early printed books (around 120 thousand units), personal archive funds of the 18th – 20th century, Ukrainian and foreign language periodicals of the 19th – first half of the 20th century (over 3 million units), cartographic publications of the 16th – 18th centuries (over 22 thousand units). On top of that, Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv is the only book collection in Ukraine containing pieces of the Ukrainian and world art – engravings, sculptures, drawings, watercolors, gouach paintings, photos, as well as the biggest in Ukraine collection of music sheets by the Ukrainian and foreign composers (over 500 thousand units).
Every year, the universal information resources of the library are used by over 10 thousand of readers, including academicians, correspondent members, doctors and candidates of science, research assistants, specialists, students of higher education establishments, as well as foreign visitors. To satisfy information needs of its readers, the library lends out over 300 thousand documents each year. The library’s electronic catalog contains over 560 thousand bibliographic entrances, the volume of image catalog comprises 4 million 420 thousand cards, the database of authority files – around 30 thousand.
To improve the quality of information support and scientific activity of users, the library provides access to the world databases of scientific information, in particular to such full-text resources as: Academic Search Complete, INSPEC, EBSCO-Energy Power, Cambridge University Press, Royal Society Publishing, Institute of Physics Publishing. For the same purpose, the library introduced the new service “Electronic delivery of documents” (EDD).
As of June 01, 2019, the personnel of the library count 314 persons, including 63 scholars (1 correspondent member of the National Academy of Sciences, DSc; 5 Doctors of Science and 30 candidates of sciences), 135 persons on library posts, 117 employees of additional structural divisions.
The team of Vasyl Stefanyk Lviv National Scientific Library of Ukraine is headed by its Director General Vasyl Fershtei, Cand. Sc.