Library

The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies administers a research library with extensive holdings in Icelandic studies, medieval European studies, and folklore. The library also holds photographic and digital reproductions of manuscripts. The Name Studies Department holds Icelandic and foreign books and journals on name studies, as well as other works on the history of Icelandic districts and geographical descriptions of Iceland. It also holds an excellent map collection, containing mainly maps of Iceland, but also maps of Denmark, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, the Shetland Islands, and Norway. The Folklore Department maintains an extensive collection of sound recordings.

The entire library holds approximately 36,800 books, as well as 156 journal titles and a large number of offprints. The Þorsteinn M. Jónsson and Birgit Baldwin Funds provide financial support for the Institute’s annual acquisition of new titles. The library is a member of the Icelandic Library Consortium and shares its union catalog system, Gegnir.

The library is intended for use by the Institute’s scholars and others who pursue research activities or have an interest in this field of studies. You are welcome to contact the librarian Ólöf Benediktsdóttir olofbe@hi.is for reference and information.


Research Facilities

The Institute has a reading room that accomodates up to 14 guests. Visitors wishing to use the reading room need to apply in advance for a desk. Interested individuals should contact the Institute’s librarian at +354 525 4022, fax +354 525 4035 or by e-mail.