Magna Commoditas; A History of Leiden University Library 1575-2005

The library of Leiden University is more than four hundred years old. Its significance for European culture can hardly be overestimated: it is a part of a small number of cultural centres that gave direction to the development and spread of knowledge during the Enlightenment. The importance of these centres lies in the simultaneous presence of a unique collection of exceptional sources and scholars. Leiden University had both at its disposal. This is a richly illustrated English survey of the first complete, all encompassing study on the library of Leiden University: from its very first book (the Polyglot-bible printed by Plantijn) to the present, partly digital collection of over two million volumes.