As the central academic library of the Republic of Austria, the Austrian National Library looks back to a history rich in tradition going as far as the 14th century. It is a living bridge between the rich heritage of the past and the future-oriented demands of a modern information society.
The Austrian National Library regards itself as a centre of information and research oriented toward serving the public, as an outstanding national memory institution and as a multi-faceted centre of education and culture.

As a service-oriented information centre, the Library offers access and professional advice on its own holdings (more than 12 million objects) and also on international data pools. It also accepts commissions on scientific research, and operates documentation centres and service facilities.

As a heir to the Habsburg Court Library, the Library conserves a significant part of the world’s documentary heritage, and feels a duty to continue preserving these. Five museums present to the public objects from the world’s biggest papyrus collection, a unique holding of historic globes, an impressive collection on Esperanto, a comprehensive set of archives of Austrian literature and the House of Austrian History. The baroque State Hall is regularly used for special exhibitions.