The State of Vorarlberg on the Internet

Vorarlberg State Library

The Vorarlberg State Library was founded in 1904 and made into a kind of university library (Studienbibliothek) in 1977. It nowadays serves as a centre for information, documentation and communication, as an infrastructure and coordination facility for education in the State of Vorarlberg. It also is a key component of the Scientific Network Vorarlberg. As a regional archive library, it is part of the State’s cultural heritage.

The main function of this public library is to offer its readers fundamental literature in any scientific field. In addition, there is a wide-ranging selection of media: the treasures and rarities of the convent library comprising precious rare books and manuscripts, the "Vorarlbergensiensammlung" (a collection about and from the region), the media centre, current and historical newspapers and journals, CD-ROMs, online databases, audio CDs and cassettes featuring classical and local music, videos and DVDs of educational films and documentaries, as well as major musicals and feature films, audio books, interactive IT and language courses.

The Vorarlberg State Library is a knowledge portal for lifelong learning enabling readers to acquire the information skills needed for a knowledge-orientated society.

These days, it is not sufficient just to purchase electronic media in particular, but also necessary to put them online by using new methods and make them accessible to users. The collection of digital documents is being systematically expanded, and the access to virtual sources such as electronic journals, of which more than 7000 are now available in full text. Another project for the future is to archive web content with relevance to the history, culture, and to current issues of Vorarlberg.

Visitors will particularly enjoy readings, concerts, lectures, theatre performances, and exhibitions in the impressive Kuppelsaal (Dome Hall – the former Collegiate Church).

Thousands of enthusiasts visit this spiritual centre by the lakeside for free guided tours, and in doing so, they gain access to a modern library within a historical building.