The Gunnerus Library (Norwegian: Gunnerusbiblioteket) is a research library operated by the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (Det Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab, SNS) in Trondheim, Norway.
Historical background
- The library is named after Johan Ernst Gunnerus (1718 – 1773), a Norwegian bishop, naturalist, and one of the founders of the SNS in 1760.
- It traces its origins to the society’s early collection of scientific works, which began to be systematically assembled shortly after the society’s establishment.
Location and administration
- The library is housed in the SNS’s historic building on Henrik Wergelands gate in the central part of Trondheim.
- It functions as a departmental library within the society, overseen by a head librarian and a professional staff of archivists and information specialists.
Collections
- The holdings comprise primarily scientific and scholarly publications, with strong emphasis on natural history, geography, and the humanities.
- The collection includes early printed books, journals, manuscripts, and correspondence dating from the 16th century to the present, as well as a significant number of works in Norwegian, Latin, and other European languages.
- Special collections feature the original publications of the society’s own journal, Mathematisk‑Naturvidenskabelige Meddelelser, and archival material related to Johan Ernst Gunnerus and other early members of the SNS.
Access and services
- The Gunnerus Library is open to researchers, scholars, and members of the SNS; a limited number of services are also available to the general public on request.
- Users may consult materials on‑site; many items have been digitised and are accessible through the library’s online catalogue and digital repositories.
- The library provides reference assistance, inter‑library loan, and guidance on the use of its historical collections.
Significance
- As one of Norway’s oldest scholarly libraries, the Gunnerus Library serves as an important repository for the country’s scientific heritage.
- Its holdings support research in the history of science, Norwegian natural history, and the broader European Enlightenment period.
Affiliations
- The library collaborates with national research institutions, including the National Library of Norway, and participates in joint projects aimed at preserving and digitising historic scientific literature.
See also
- Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
- Johan Ernst Gunnerus
- Trondheim University Library (NTNU)
Note: The information presented reflects the library’s known functions and historical context as documented in publicly available sources up to the knowledge cutoff date.
