The Abteilung für Sondersammlungen of the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol in Innsbruck: a brief introduction on history, status quaestionis and ongoing projects

Abstract

This article outlines the history of the Universitats- und Landesbibliothek Tirol (University and Provincial Library of Tirol at Innsbruck, ULB Tirol) in Innsbruck from the initial idea for its establishment arising in 1731 through its actual foundation in 1745, as well as its connection, shaped by various interactions, with the Leopold-Franzens-University in Innsbruck founded in 1669. The text also provides general information on the modern-day ULB Tirol, including data on its general tasks and mission, its holdings and numbers of users, and the individual departments of the library. The main focus of the article lies on the Department of Special Collections and its manuscript holdings, however. It offers an overview of the cataloguing projects conducted over the past fifty years and the status quo of those projects, as well as discussing their boundaries and the possibilities they have opened up. Finally, three specific projects are presented that are either currently being implemented or will be undertaken in the coming years and will substantially expand existing knowledge on the department’s manuscript assets. A bibliography lists all modern manuscript catalogs published between 1987 and 2017 as well as the essential literature on the history of the library’s holdings from 1874 to 2019.