Now more than four centuries old, Leiden University Library is an invaluable storehouse of European culture. The library houses a wide variety of collections containing a wealth of unique material. 'Magna Commoditas' offers the first survey of the library’s history from its beginning in 1575, when William of Orange gave a Polyglot Bible printed by Christopher Plantin to the new university library. Many donations and gifts to the library followed, such as the Holmannus bequest, the Vossius collection and the Legatum Warnerianum. Already in possession of more than two million volumes, the library is still expanding its collection, now partly digitised. The history of Leiden University Library reflects the development of 435 years of art and learning, against the backdrop of social, political and cultural change.This title is out of print.