Bergen Public Library is the second largest public library in Norway. The present institution was founded in 1872, but is based on much older library traditions in the city. The main library was built in 1917 and is a protected building. Bergen Public Library has its main library in the city centre and seven branch libraries spread across the different districts of the city. Bergen Public Library also runs the libraries in Bergen prison and Bjørgvin prison.Bergen Public Library is the the base for Hordaland county library. The inter - library lending service is based in the main library and books bought through the county`s funds are placed here.In addition to a wide choice of modern Norwegian and foreign literature and other material, the library owns valuable special collections and archives from earlier times. A total number of 700.000 books, periodicals, sheet music, CDs, videos etc are available for library users. Everything published after 1964, with the exception of some of the older sheet music is now accessible via WWW, and over half of the older collections have been converted.