Reading Room West (Danish: Læsesal Vest) or The Research Reading Room at The
Royal Danish Library
The Royal Library ( da, Det Kongelige Bibliotek) in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries ...
is a part of The Danish National Library and is located in
Black Diamond, the Royal Library's modern extension on
Slotsholmen
Slotsholmen (English: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Bishop Absalon constructed the c ...
in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. The history of the reading room has its roots in the foundation of The Royal Library by King
Frederik III
Frederick III ( da, Frederik; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bi ...
and it has been relocated several times since then.
The purpose of the reading room is:
* To make it possible for users to study materials from the library’s collection, which are restricted to the premises
* To make a large reference collection available for the users
* To house reserved desks for researchers
Target group:
* The University of Copenhagen
* Researchers from
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
and abroad
* Others who seek knowledge at a higher level
The reference collection in Reading Room West consists of 2 levels with a combined capacity of 65.000 volumes. It covers several of the subject areas of The Royal Library, but there is an emphasis on the
humanities
Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...
and
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
.
External links
Reading Room West
{{Authority control
Libraries in Denmark
da:Den Sorte Diamant#Læsesal Vest