The library’s total book stock is about 5 million items in almost 100 languages.
Due to its collection of rare books the Library entered the world catalogue «Museums of Book and Bookmaking. International Directory.-M.,1987.».
The library holds more than 200 000 items of rare editions - 52 incunabula, more than 100 paleotypes, rarities and early printed books, such as written relics of the Slavs “Hilander Pages” and “Ochrida Pages” from “The New Testament” edited in 11th century, and also the manuscripts of XII-XIX centuries (more than 2000 items in storage) in Latin, Greek, Italian, Slavonic and other languages.
A collection of miniature books (more than 1500 copies) ranks among the most significant.
Among books which in different years have been given to the library as a gift, are special value collections of Count M.M.Tolstoy (40 thousand copies), Odesa Mayor and patron of arts G.G.Marazli (10 thousand copies), archeologist P.O. Burachkov (more than 3 thousand documents), Count M.S. Vorontsov (more than 600 volumes of edition de luxe of French classics), professor V.E. Timonov (1085 books and brochures), lawyer A.A. Borzenko (851 copies), archival collection of the scientists Shevalyovs (100 documents).
Rare materials on history, economy, geography and culture of the Black Sea maritime region are part of the collection of local lore. Among them are first Odesa almanacs, the complete set of the newspaper «Odessky Vestnik» (1827-1893).
The Library is proud of its «Ukrainica» Collection with early Cyrillic prints, Ivan Fedorov’s prints and private Collection of outstanding Ukrainian bibliographer and bibliophile M. F. Komarov.
XIX-XXI centuries’ collection of periodicals (2 million copies) includes newspapers and magazines of the South of Ukraine.
Completeness of funds of domestic literature is guaranteed by receipt of an obligatory copy of documents on the basis of the Decision of the Cabinet of Ministries of Ukraine of 10.05.2002 «About delivery of obligatory copies of documents».
Department of scientific acquisition: +38 048 7232478
Department of rarities and manuscripts: +38 048 7234536