The Central University Library is one of the greatest cultural edifices in Bucharest. The richness of its collections, its sustained activity, and its facilities have placed it from its inauguration on a par with the best-endowed European libraries.
 
Designed by the French architect Paul Gottereau, this classical building was erected in 1914. In 1948, after the establishment of the Communist regime, it took the name of the Central Library of the University of Bucharest and gradually became, between 1969 and 1989, the most important university library in the country.
 
After the events of December 1989, the building and its collections were largely destroyed. Thanks to national and international efforts, the library was entirely restored and even enlarged. Its collections, reconstructed according to the original categorization, cover all fields of science. With many of its resources now available electronically, the library is one of the most modern international libraries.