This Section oversees all technical, scholarly, and administrative procedures required for the loan of rare and valuable works from the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana to exhibitions in Italy and abroad.

Under the regulations currently in force for State Libraries, all required documentation must be submitted through the administrative chain of command to the competent Ministry at least 120 days prior to the opening of the exhibition.

For this reason, the Library has prepared the form “Conditions of Loan for Exhibitions” (valid as a contractual agreement), which sets out the terms and requirements governing loans. The form must be carefully read by the applicant, completed in full, dated, stamped, signed by the exhibition organiser, and returned to the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana at least 180 days before the opening of the exhibition.

At the same time, the “Cultural Goods Transfer-Form” (one copy for each item requested on loan) must be submitted, duly completed (limited to points 14, 15, 16, and 17 of the third page), dated, and signed by the exhibition organiser.

The Library strongly recommends that the exhibition organisers contact the Library Management in advance to discuss the exhibition project and to assess the feasibility of the requested loan.

Forms
1) Conditions of Loan for Exhibitions
To be requested directly from the Exhibitions Department 2) Cultural Goods Transfer-Form

• Italian:
  • Rich Text Format (.rtf)
  • Plain Text Format (.txt)
• English:
  • in Rich Text Format (.rtf)
  • in Plain Text Format (.txt)

The Press Office is responsible for the Library’s external and internal communications. It manages relations with Italian and international journalists, public and private institutions, and users in connection with Marciana initiatives. It provides informational materials and images exclusively for journalistic purposes and compiles, organises, and archives press coverage relating to the Library.

The Events Office coordinates the conception, planning, and organisation of lecture series, readings, book presentations, concerts, conferences, and study days held at the Library’s historic headquarters, the Sansovino Library.

The Library is available to enter into agreements with universities to allow students to undertake training internships at its premises. Agreements are currently in place with the following institutions for curricular internships: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the University of Padua, and the University of Verona (b-marc.didattica@cultura.gov.it ).

Similarly, the Library is available to enter into agreements with university doctoral schools for training internships lasting a total of 8–12 months. These internships focus on topics related to the doctoral candidate’s field of study and reflect research interests shared by both institutions. b-marc.didattica@cultura.gov.it

The Department of Protection, Conservation, Prevention and Restoration offers training internships for professionals, preferably graduates of restoration schools or individuals with at least three years’ experience in book restoration. Up to two professionals are accepted per year, for a maximum duration of two months, either between March and June or between September and December. Applications, including a CV, must be submitted to the Department of Protection, Conservation, Prevention, and Restoration (b-marc.restauro@cultura.gov.it ) by December for the March–June period and by May for the September–December period.

The vast heritage of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana represents an important resource for education and training. The educational programmes are designed to meet the need for in-depth study and to complement classroom learning through direct engagement with historical documentation preserved by the Library. The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana organises introductory seminars on specific topics related to the study and handling of manuscripts and to book and archival heritage. The seminars are intended for secondary school students from the third year onwards. Each meeting lasts approximately two hours. Participation is limited to a maximum of 20 students. Reservations are required (b-marc.didattica@cultura.gov.it) at least one month prior to the scheduled seminar date. Seminars offered:

• A Book in Your Hands. Materials and Techniques of Restoration (Claudia Benvestito)
• The Musical Heritage of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana: From Sources to Performance (Luciana Battagin)
• The Evolution of the Printed Book as a Handcrafted Artefact and as a Tool for the Transmission of Ideas, from Incunabula to the Nineteenth Century, through the Collections of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (Federica Benedetti)
• The Biblioteca Marciana and Its Archival Heritage (Monica Donaglio)
• The Library of St Mark in the City of the Serenissima (Margherita Venturelli)
• The Marciana Tells Its Story: Promoting a Historic State Library (Margherita Venturelli)

The Library promotes knowledge of its heritage in collaboration with Italian and international organisations and institutions through dedicated initiatives. It is also available to cooperate in training activities in the field of library science and in relation to its institutional functions (cataloguing, preservation, and promotion).

Getting to know the Biblioteca Marciana and its collections: in-depth meeting

The Library welcomes requests for study visits from university lecturers who wish to explore topics addressed in their courses through direct examination of ancient and modern materials. During these visits, a librarian presents the Library’s principal collections and documents. It is advisable to arrange such activities at the beginning of the academic year.

The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana organises introductory seminars on specific topics related to the study and handling of manuscripts and to book and archival heritage.

These seminars are intended for university students and aim to explore methodological aspects of manuscript studies and book and archival heritage, complementing university courses such as Codicology, Palaeography, Archival Science, and Conservation and Restoration.

Each meeting lasts two hours. Participation is limited to a maximum of 20 students.
Reservations are required (b-marc.didattica@cultura.gov.it ) at least one month prior to the scheduled seminar date.

Seminars offered:

• The Musical Heritage of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana: Musical Bibliography in Direct Contact with the Sources (Luciana Battagin)
• The Material Aspects of Manuscript Study: The Ancient Bindings of the Bessarion Codices (Silvia Pugliese)
• Archives in the Library: Formation, Management, and Enhancement of the Archival Heritage of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (Monica Donaglio)
• Events at the Marciana (Margherita Venturelli)

The Library organises guided tours of its Monumental Rooms for cultural associations and institutes upon request, preferably in conjunction with exhibitions and events curated or hosted in the Rooms.
Visits take place during public opening hours and must be booked in advance. Requests must specify the name of the association or institute, the number of participants (maximum 25 per group), and the preferred date and time of the visit.

The Library reserves the right to request a financial contribution for these activities, in accordance with the current Regulations and price list

The Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana are open to individual visitors and groups.

Access is via the entrance to the Correr Museum (Piazza San Marco, Napoleonic Wing) and requires the purchase of a single ticket for the Museums of Piazza San Marco (valid for the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Sansovino Library, and the Doge’s Palace). Admission is free for residents of the Municipality of Venice and for those born there.

Further information on tickets and concessions is available at: http://correr.visitmuve.it/it/pianifica-la-tua-visita/biglietti/

It is also possible to arrange a guided tour of the Monumental Rooms led by the staff of the Marciana National Library. In this case, access is via the monumental staircase (Piazzetta San Marco 13/a), upon payment of a fee as provided for in the Regulations and price list. Groups must not exceed 25 participants.

Individual or group access to the Monumental Rooms is via the entrance to the Correr Museum (Piazza San Marco, Napoleonic Wing) and is subject to the purchase of a single ticket for the Museums of Piazza San Marco (valid for the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Sansovino Library and the Doge’s Palace). Access is free for residents and those born in the Municipality of Venice.

For information on educational programmes and guided tours:
e-mail: b-marc.didattica@cultura.gov.it
telephone: 041 2407245
Coordinator: Monica Donaglio

• Winter hours (1 November – 31 March): daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last admission at 4 p.m.)
• Summer hours (1 April – 31 October): daily, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.)

The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana holds approximately 4,500 periodical and newspaper titles, including more than 1,000 current subscriptions, many of which in Venice are available exclusively at this institution.

Acquisitions

The Periodicals Section is responsible for the continuation, enrichment, and completion of the collection through acquisition, cataloguing, administrative management, and the receipt and exchange of gifts and duplicates.

It coordinates the cataloguing of periodicals within the libraries of the Venice SBN network.

The Section conducts research on the antiquarian market, liaises with publishers, and arranges exchanges with other institutions in order to acquire older material and fill gaps in the Marciana collections.
It is also responsible for the maintenance, organisation, and reorganisation of storage areas for periodicals, a Section that presents specific logistical and conservation challenges.

All Marciana periodicals, including ceased titles, together with their holdings, can be found in the National Library Service (SBN) database. Since 2009, the issues of current serials received can be viewed through the OPAC of the Venetian network.

Venetian periodicals from the nineteenth century, some from the twentieth century, and all one-off issues (numeri unici) have been microfilmed and are therefore excluded from direct consultation.

Legal Deposit

The Section is responsible for receiving and managing the editorial production of the Province of Venice subject to the legal deposit law (Law 106/2004) with regard to serial publications.

Ongoing Projects

Recovery from the “Vianello Room” of all periodicals received over the years in fragmentary form through legal deposit but never incorporated into the Marciana collections. Some of these titles, pending cataloguing, may be located under this shelfmark in Repertorio analitico della stampa periodica veneziana 1866-1969, published by the Istituto veneziano per la storia della Resistenza (Iveser), available online at: www.unsecolodicartavenezia.it

The cataloguing of the Strenne has been completed. The collection consists of 1,479 items, mainly almanacs and calendars from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

A new and comprehensive cataloguing of ancient gazettes and periodicals (seventeenth–eighteenth centuries) has begun.

For information regarding periodicals, please contact the Bibliographic Information Office.

Downloadable documents:

• Microfilmed periodicals
  • rtf format:per-microfilmati.rtf (148 KB)
  • txt format: per-microfilmati.txt (6 KB)
• Questionnaire
  • rtf format: per-questionario.rtf (16 KB)
  • txt format: per-questionario.txt (4 KB)

Section activities:

Antiquarian acquisitions

In accordance with the guidelines established by the Library’s tradition and the profile of its collections, manuscripts and printed books are acquired on the antiquarian market when they are relevant to, or bear witness to, the history and culture of Venetian society in all its aspects.

Acquisition of modern materials
The guidelines for the acquisition of modern publications are determined not only by the Library’s tradition, its collections, and its geographical location, but also by the specific responsibilities of a National Library. Accordingly, in addition to works on philology, codicology, Byzantine studies, library science, literature, and the history of Venice, the Library acquires publications that document contemporary cultural, political, and social debate, as well as the most significant contributions in the humanities and in Italian and foreign literature.

Legal deposit acquisitions
The Section manages all activities related to legal deposit—monitoring compliance with the law, maintaining relations with publishers in the Province of Venice, and overseeing the management and cataloguing of deposited materials—in accordance with current legislation (Law 106/2004 and Presidential Decree 252/2006) and with the agreement signed with the Veneto Region, which assigns to the Library one copy of all printed publications issued in the Province of Venice.

Guidelines for publishers subject to legal deposit in the Province of Venice

Acquisitions by donation or exchange
Publications may be offered to the Library as donations. However, given the limited storage space available, the Library reserves the right to accept only materials consistent with its acquisition policy. For budgetary reasons, it is not possible to return materials that are not accepted. Donors are therefore strongly advised to contact the office in advance to verify the suitability of proposed donations. If the donors of rejected materials cannot be contacted, the Library reserves the right to offer such items to other libraries in the Venice area. The Library also maintains a collection of unlisted works (publications produced or promoted by the Library), which are used for exchange with other libraries and cultural institutions. Please note that articles, offprints, and similar materials are accepted as donations or exchanges only if they are bound, even in a simple form.

Automated management of acquisition and cataloguing procedures
For the acquisition of modern books, the office follows the procedures established within the Sebina SBN system. This includes the descriptive cataloguing in SBN of all acquired materials (by purchase, donation, exchange, or legal deposit), carried out in collaboration with the Modern Books Cataloguing Office.

Requests

The Section manages purchase requests submitted by users via the appropriate forms available in the Library’s reading rooms or remotely through the PoloVEA OPAC. Requests that comply with the Library’s acquisition policy are considered, subject to budget availability. All requests receive a response.

The Theatre and Music Section is responsible for the study, promotion, and dissemination of the Library’s rich musical and theatrical heritage, comprising approximately 19,000 items. These include manuscripts and printed works of practical and theoretical music, scores, and sheet music from the Contarini, Canal, Tagliapietra, and Ricordi collections. The Drama Section also preserves approximately 11,000 librettos in the Groppo, Rossi, Zeno, and Salvioli collections.

The Section responds to requests for bibliographic and photographic information relating to this heritage.

The Information Systems Section manages the operation, development, and integration of the technologies that support the Library’s activities and the management of its analogue and digital information heritage.

The Section is responsible for organising the systems and tools necessary for library operations, ensuring the efficiency of internal services, the quality of cataloguing and document management processes, and the effective usability of resources by users.

Its functions include:

• Needs analysis and planning of digital services: identification of the Library’s IT and document management requirements, contributing to the definition of technical specifications and the development of appropriate solutions.
• Coordination of technological infrastructure: support for the management of IT equipment, digital platforms, and network systems used for daily operations and public services.
• Management of digital content production and processing: organisation of workflows related to the creation, description, storage, and dissemination of digital documents and data.
• Quality and accessibility of information systems: monitoring the proper functioning of systems and defining procedures for data storage and access, in compliance with current regulations and professional standards.

The Section works in close collaboration with the Library’s facilities and support services, contributing to process optimisation and to the enhancement of the Library’s information resources.