University Library of Southern Denmark
The University Library of Southern Denmark is the public research library for the University of Southern Denmark. It has branches in Esbjerg, Kolding, Odense, Slagelse, Sønderborg and Copenhagen. The library is led by director Bertil F. Dorch and serves mainly SDU researchers and students, but is also used by businesses, organisations and schools. More information is at www.sdu.dk/Bibliotek.aspx.
The library holds about 1.5 million books in its physical collection and provides access to over 200,000 electronic journals and periodicals, around 750,000 e-books, and more than 500 online databases (as of 2022). It helps users with research support, bibliometrics, and information literacy. Students can use guides and LibGuides, and the library teaches information retrieval, study skills, copyright, responsible research, assignment writing and Citizen Science. The library supports Open Science and open access, and it can borrow books from other Danish libraries through a national network. It also collaborates with international partners.
Historically, the library originated as Odense University Library, founded in 1965. It moved to Campusvej in 1972 and, after a 1999 merger of Odense University with several schools, became The University Library of Southern Denmark. It later absorbed additional institutions. The library houses special collections such as the Herlufsholm Collection (1968) and the Jazz Collections. In 2018, a report about toxic books in the special collections drew global attention. In 2021, the Knowledge Centre for Citizen Science opened, located in the library, linking SDU faculties with partners for national and international projects.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:33 (CET).