The Bamberg State Library () is a combined universal, regional and research library with priority given to the humanities. Today it is housed in the New Residence, the former prince-bishop's new palace. The Free State of Bavaria is responsible for the library. Overview The Bamberg State Library supplies the town of Bamberg and the region Upper Franconia with literature for research and higher education purposes, professional work and advanced training. The historically grown holdings of more than 500,000 volumes are continuously supplemented and enlarged by acquisitions in all general fields, and in specialized areas such as the history and geography of (Upper) Franconia, art history and appreciation, manuscripts and the printed book. It cooperates in all areas of librarianship with the University Library of Bamberg. One of its regional tasks is to acquire documentary material on and of persons who are connected with the region. More over it gets the legal deposit for the region of Upper Franconia; that means the Bamberg State Library receives a copy of every book published in Upper Franconia and continues to compile a complete bibliography of the region. It also provides space for book collections belonging to Bamberg institutions such as the Bamberg Historical Society (), the Bamberg Society of Naturalists (), the Bamberg Art Association () the E.-T.-A.-Hoffmann-Gesellschaft and the Bamberg group of the Frankenbund. Its high esteem to be a research library of international rank is based on its rich manuscripts holdings. This collection may be traced back to the emperor Henry II, who founded the bishopric of Bamberg on 1 November 1007. Three of these manuscripts became part of UNESCO's Memory of the World: the Bamberg Apocalypse (; Msc.Bibl.140), the Commentary on the Song of Songs, on the Book of Proverbs and on the Book of Daniel (; Msc.Bibl.22), and the Lorsch Pharmacopoeia (; Msc.Med.1). Holdings in figures 566,000 volumes in total 80,000 graphics and photographs 3,600 incunabula (15th century prints) 6,400 manuscripts in total (1,000 medieval manuscripts) 1,650 current journals History The nucleus of the collection may be traced back to the emperor Henry II, who founded the bishopric of Bamberg in 1007. Among his gifts to the cathedral were many precious manuscripts, which he and his predecessors had collected or commissioned. Manuscripts from various spiritual centres of the Western world were brought to Bamberg as a result. In the ensuing period many books were written and illuminated in the