The abbey library of Saint Gall German : Stiftsbibliothek is a significant medieval monastic library located in St. Gallen , Switzerland. In , the library, as well as the Abbey of St. Gall , were designated a World Heritage Site , as "an outstanding example of a large Carolingian monastery and was, since the 8th century until its secularisation in , one of the most important cultural centres in Europe".
The library was founded by Saint Othmar , founder of the Abbey of St. During a fire in , the Abbey was destroyed, but the library remained intact. It translates as "healing place for the soul", based on an inscription at the Library of Ramesses II [ 4 ].
The library collection is the oldest in Switzerland , and one of the earliest and most important monastic libraries in the world. The library holds almost , volumes , with most available for public use. In addition to older printed books, the collection includes incunabula books printed before , and manuscripts dating back to the 8th through 15th centuries; among the most notable of the latter are items of Irish , Carolingian , and Ottonian production.
These codices are held inside glass cases, each of which is topped by a carved cherub offering a visual clue as to the contents of the shelves below; for instance, the case of astronomy-related materials bears a cherub observing the books through a telescope. A virtual library has been created to provide broader access to the manuscripts: Codices Electronici Sangallenses.
This project has been expanded to include codices from other libraries as well and is operating under the name e-codices.
