This is one of the most modern and largest digital libraries in Europe. Its collection is growing by more than 2,500 scans daily, and a million new items were added just last year – in total, it currently boasts above three million objects. The multifaceted collection developed by the National Library spans a huge wealth of forms, disciplines, and times of creation: from the Middle Ages to the present day. Objects include illuminated manuscripts, the oldest printed Polish books, prints, drawings, cookbooks, postcards, calendars and children’s books.

The materials are made available in various formats, with full respect for public domain rights: anyone may browse, download, and freely use them, irrespective of the purpose. Lively and witty commentaries written by curators and experts on the Polona blog make exploring even the oldest, most hermetic collections a pleasure.

The National Library’s modern digitization lab supports cultural institutions in digitizing and sharing their resources. As a result, Polona showcases not just the National Library’s collection, but also those of the Jagiellonian Library, Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute, National Ethnographic Museum, National Fryderyk Chopin Institute and Book Institute.