The National Library of Israel

Home to the intellectual and cultural treasures of Israel and the Jewish people, the National Library of Israel (NLI) has recently embarked on a visionary journey of renewal. In addition to the construction of a state-of-the-art complex in the heart of Jerusalem, the renewal process incorporates a wide range of initiatives to preserve and make these treasures available to diverse audiences in Israel and across the globe.

The National Library has four core collections: Israel, Judaica, Islam and Middle East, and the Humanities. Highlights include significant collections of handwritten works by luminaries such as Maimonides and Sir Isaac Newton, exquisite Islamic manuscripts dating back to the ninth century and personal archives of leading cultural and intellectual figures including Martin Buber, Stefan Zweig and Naomi Shemer. The National Library holds the largest collection of Jewish and Israeli music, as well as world-class collections of manuscripts, ancient maps, rare books, photographs, archival materials, and more. Many of these collections have already been digitized, making them accessible as never before. A constantly expanding range of cultural, educational and technological initiatives are designed to encourage diverse forms of engagement with these treasures by users in Israel and across the globe.