Web site: http://www-library.univer.kharkov.ua/ukr

The Central Scientific Library was founded in 1804 on the initiative of the prominent educator, public figure and scholar V. N. Karazin. The general fund of the library counts more than 3š350 000 copies. Among them, there are more than 1.7 million copies of scientific literature, 1.1 million copies of textbooks. The unique collection of rare books and manuscripts counts nearly 60,000 copies, including the collection of incunabula (issues printed before 1500), paleotyps (1501-1550 ), and considerable collections of Ukrainian and foreign printed ancient editions (XVI-XVIII centuries) and the editions of the prominent figures of science and classical literature. The collection of the manuscripts includes nearly 1000 copies. Among the manuscripts are The Universal of Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa (1704), The Annals of Hrabianka (early XIX century), the materials which deal with the history of Ukraine ( XVII-XVIII cc.) the letters written by Ivan Franko to his penwoman Kobrynska (1884-1886 ), the collection of Greek, Polish and other manuscripts.The collection of foreign publications counts more than 700š000 copies written in the main European languages.

The publications of the printing house, which was founded in 1804 at the University, are also stored in the library. Among them are the first in Ukraine magazines and newspapers, which were published in the printing house of the University :" Kharkovskie Izvestiya? (?Kharkiv News") (1817-1823), ?Kharkovskiy Demokrit?("Kharkiv Democritus") (1816), ?Ukrainskiy Vestnik? ("Ukrainian Messenger ") (1816-1820), ?Ukrainskiy Zhurnal? ("Ukrainian Journal") (1823 -1825).

5 lending library subscriptions, 12 reading halls,the service of the interlibrary subscriptions, 2 specialized rooms with catalogs, The Centre of Internet Technologies ,The Hall of literature on the history of the University,The Hall of the regional history books of Greece and Cyprus, created with assistance of A. Leventis (Cyprus),and The Information Center "Window on America".

Keeping the famous university traditions, the CSL, at the same time introduces new library and information technologies. Since 1991 the electronic catalog has been managed, it is the inculcated system of the computer-aided service for the customers who use the subscriptions of the scientific and fiction literature and the reading rooms. The server stores full-text versions of the CSL training and teaching materials, including those prepared by university professors, unique digitized publications. The Library provides high-speed Internet access, e-mail, usage of a local computer network LIBER-MEDIA.

Information service is one of the main activities of the library. Clock via the Internet has an electronic catalog with electronic orders and electronic access to your membership form, "Library Board" to the feedback from users. For readers using electronic orders in the library are computers in the halls of catalogs, subscription to scientific and literary works and in all reading rooms. For self-study use of an electronic catalog and electronic ordering has developed a training course "From the start," which posted at CSL page electronic catalog.

You entered the service - reference and bibliographic service "Virtual bibliographer? (http://www-library.univer.kharkov.ua/vs), through which users CSL can get professional bibliographic references. Systematized archive made references is freely available over the Internet for all users.

CSL provides access to many well-known electronic databases: EBSCO Publishing, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry, "The Russian National byblyohrafyya" from EastView, online library of educational literature CUL Online - More than 500 Ukrainian-language training manuals and textbooks recommended Ministry of Education of Ukraine, economic, humanitarian and natural sciences.

Library supports open access to knowledge. In 2008, the rectors of universities Cross-border classic Belarusian-Russian - Ukrainian consortium adopted Belgorod declaration on open access to knowledge. Since January 2009, CSL is also a project participant eLibUkr: Electronic Library of Ukraine. In June 2009 created and constantly updated publications of professors, lecturers, researchers, graduate students and institutional repository (electronic archive) University http://dspace.univer.kharkov.ua

The project eLibUkr: Electronic Library of Ukraine CSL provides access to the most famous publishers of electronic journals, such as IOPscience Journals, Oxford Journals, Passport GMID company Euromonitor, HINARI (Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative) and others., Provided monthly test access.

CSL leading international book exchange with foreign educational and scientific institutions. Among the partners: RSL, the NSC SPSTL (Moscow), the Serbian National Library, Library of Congress, Public Library in New York, Universities in Poland, Bulgaria, France, Japan and other cities around the world, maintains close contacts with the library Laviyskoho University "Latvia Academic Library "(Riga). CSL collaborates with the Foundation Anastasiosa G. Lyevyentisa (Cyprus), Goethe-Institute (Kyiv), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, Consulate General of Poland in Kharkiv, the International Council for Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), French Cultural tsentorm in Kharkov, Ukrainian American Foundation "Sabre-Light", Hellenic Foundation for Culture, national Kharkov and Ukraine.

Library promotes the spiritual development of the modern generation. The library host exhibitions of artists, photographers, masters of other arts Kharkov, Ukraine and other countries.

The Central Library is a methodological center zonal libraries state-owned universities III-IV accreditation levels Kharkov area (36 libraries of Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy regions).