About us

Drawn and colored illustration with shelves, books and librarians at work
Illustration by Giulia Sacripante

A brief history

The Library now features seven disciplinary sections. In origin, these were libraries of specific departments (before Institutes), which had been incorporated in time. Even if the sections have the same rules and services, they have also some peculiarities given by their history. 

The last institutional transformation took place in 2012, when the new Department of History and Cultures was founded. It incorporated the Departments and the Libraries of: 

  • Archaeology (with the two locations of Bologna and Ravenna) 
  • Historical, Anthropological and Geographic Disciplines 
  • Paleography and Medieval Studies 
  • Ancient History 
  • Linguistic and Oriental Studies 

Three of these seven sections (Archaeology, Medieval Studies and Modern History Studies) in 1996 were relocated in San Giovanni in Monte 2, whilst Geography was relocated to the Flemish College (via Guerrazzi 20). On the other hand, the other sections kept their historical location: both in the university town (via Zamboni), Ancient History is located in Palazzo Riario, while Oriental Studies in Palazzo Poggi. The Archaeology section of Ravenna is located in Casa Traversari-Palazzo Maioli