National Library of Wales

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The front of the building

The National Library of Wales (Welsh: Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru) is the national legal deposit library of Wales, located in Aberystwyth. It is entitled to receive a copy of every published work from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and houses over 4 million printed volumes.

It includes many rare books including the first book printed in Welsh in 1546 (Yny lhyvyr hwnn) and the first Welsh translation of the complete Bible in 1588. It also keeps many rare and important manuscripts including The Black Book of Carmarthen (the earliest surviving manuscript entirely in Welsh), the Book of Taliesin, and a manuscript of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. The Library also contains The Welsh Political Archive and The National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales. It also keeps maps, photographs, paintings, topographical and landscape prints, periodicals and newspapers. Many of the most important manuscripts and books have been digitized and made freely available to view on the library's website.

In 2000, a thief stole at least fifty extremely rare maps from the library. The maps are assumed to have been sold to private collectors. ([1], [2])

[edit] See also

The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, adjacent to the library
Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (the University of Wales Dictionary of the Welsh Language) whose offices were located in the Library and are now situated in a new building adjacent to the Library.