The library of the Archivio Storico specializes in the history of the university and students. It originated in the seventies by a group of books from various sources, but still related to the themes that characterize it. With the establishment in March 2000 of the Centro di servizi Archivio Storico library has provided a more systematic and rational organization, and has pursued a policy of acquisitions aimed at both the Italian and international current scientific production and the antiques market, regularly increasing its collections of books and magazines student.
This is a library of small size (about 18. 000 books and pamphlets now all those registered), but highly specialized, full of rare and sometimes unique titles in the Italian, in particular as regards the collection of ancient books.
An important area of the library is dedicated to the history of the University of Bologna and includes works relating to the affairs of the University of Bologna and its sources: the funds are linked to it the Eighth and Ninth Centenary (works donated by universities around the world on the occasion of the anniversaries of 1888 and 1988). Great attention is also paid to the history of Italian and foreign universities: the volumes are collected in a special section organized by country and individual campuses.
Another area of interest is the history of education, but what identifies the library in its most distinctive feature is the collection of works dedicated to the history of the students, taken in its broadest sense: student associations of various kinds (goliardic, political, religious ), autobiographical memories, everyday life, collections of songs, poetry and theater, sports, magazines written by and for students, and student protest movement from 1968 onwards.