UCL SSEES Library

The Polish collection consists of about 25,000 books and pamphlets and 45 current periodical titles, 10 of which are newspapers. Since 1918, when Poland regained its independence, the library has enjoyed exchange agreements with the various branches of the Polish Academy of Sciences, as well as with universities and learned societies. It has thereby acquired the publications of these bodies, notably series of monographs such as Rozprawy Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego and seria Historii Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, as well as many other useful monographs and periodicals.

The library is rich in bibliographical and reference materials, language, literature and history. Since 1989 acquisitions have expanded to include geography, economics, politics, fine arts, theatre and cinema. Much emphasis is now being given to politics and the social sciences, and the library subscribes to various journals, newspapers and statistical surveys in the political and economic field such as Rzeczpospolita, Wiadomości Statystyczne, Gazeta Bankowa, Wprost and the daily Gazeta Wyborcza. The library has long runs of Polityka and Trybuna as well as of the major Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny.

The language section contains a wide range of specialised monographs by established Polish philologists, past and present, as well as more basic grammars and text-books, including those few which exist in English. The literature section, which includes literary histories, original works and critical studies, is very large and covers in some detail the development of Polish literature from the Renaissance to the present day. The library subscribes to a number of literary journals, notably Twórczość, Teksty Drugie, Ruch Literacki, Pamiętnik Literacki and Odra. In the literature section, especially, efforts have been made to collect émigré publications as well as literature published in Poland.

The section on Polish history contains numerous standard works and well documented analytical works on special periods and topics by Polish, British and American historians. The period of Polish history from the end of the eighteenth century up to modern times, together with the memoirs and critical biographies of Polish political and military leaders, is particularly well represented. The Library possesses such published original source materials as Acta Tomiciana, 17 vols., Poznań, 1852-1966; Acta Historica Res Gestas Poloniae Illustrantia, 11 vols., Kraków, 1878-1908; J. Długosz, Opera Omnia, 14 vols., Kraków, 1863-87.

Amongst the reference and bibliographical works are: K. Estreicher, Bibliografia Polska, 32 vols., Kraków, 1878-1938; Bibliografia historii Polski, 8 vols., Warszawa, 1965-78, comprising the period of Polish history from its beginnings to 1945; Bibliografia literatury polskiej 'Nowy Korbut', Warszawa, 1963-; Polski słownik biograficzny, Kraków, 1935-; Słownik geograficzny Królewstwa Polskiego, 15 vols., Warszawa, 1880-95.

The collection as a whole provides valuable material both for undergraduate studies and postgraduate research. Polish books are located on the First Floor of the Library and have the classmark P. Periodicals and newspapers are kept on the Lower Ground Floor and in store.

Library staff also maintain a page of Internet resources on Poland.

This page last modified Monday 3 December 2007.