The State Scientific Library in Košice is a cultural institution which is focused on library services, information, bibliographic, research, educational and cultural activities. It has been providing its services to the public since 1946 and is constantly working to expand and modernize its activities.

In addition to standard library services, the Library also incorporates specialized study rooms and holdings in its structure. It also hosts a wide range of interesting cultural and educational events for the public every year and has been involved in these professional activities since it first opened. The establishment of the Historical Holdings Department in 1995 opened the imaginary doors to the depositories of the historical collection which it manages. The Library embarked on the bibliographic processing of antiquarian books and published the catalogues of the collection. Thanks to this project, many gems of literary culture were uncovered in our extensive collection of more than 90 thousand items. Among these treasures, the Vizsoly Bible holds a special place. The Library’s copy of the Vizsoly Bible was part of the historical collection of the former Law Academy, the origins of which can be traced back to the 17th century and the period of the first University of Košice. The Academy’s historical holdings were diverse, including works from a wide range of academic disciplines in more than thirty languages printed in many European countries. The works date from various periods, ranging from the earliest printed works from the 15th century up until the year 1918. The Vizsoly Bible belongs to a collection of texts published in the 16th century which consists of more than a thousand titles and can be seen as part of the new exhibition dedicated to the Bible. The exhibition is located in the building of the Department of Historical Holdings and Regional Literature at Pri Miklušovej väznici 1. The Department also offers a Study Room of Historical Holdings and Regional Literature in which other historical documents from our collection can be made available to researchers. For more information about the conditions of conducting research and requesting access to documents, please visit our homepage.