The University and National Library University of Debrecen opened in 1918. The Library moved into its present place in 1932 after the library unit of the building had been completed. It provides location for more than 2 million volumes and welcomes hundreds of visitors. The collection included 100 000 volumes in 1932. Following 1935 the library experienced an expedite accession; in the final years of the WWII the book and journal collection of the Library of Debrecen University quadrupled.

Determinant moment in the history of the institution was receiving the task and right to legal deposit (1952), and in 1997 the library law strengthened its status as a National Library. As the second largest library in Hungary, we receive all nationally published books and periodicals, music documents and audio materials, CD-ROMs, and small publications. Due to the scantly locations, in 1987 the building of the former University Church was remodelled to house the periodical, music and manuscript collections of the Library.

Since January 1, 2001 the University and National Library of University of Debrecen has become an integrated institution under the direction of the Rector of the University. Under a unified management, all seven scientific library units serve a common goal to provide up-to-date access to information for all citizens of the University. Our Library undertakes multiple roles: as a public library with national legal deposit receives copies of all document types published in Hungary, as a national center of the National Document Supply System it receives and stores information about other libraries and provides interlibrary service nationally, and the Library also provides assistance to Hungarian university libraries in the neighbouring countries.

While the integrated University has multiple administrative centers located distant from one another, all faculties require their students and staff to use campus resources in disciplinary libraries. In order to meet these requirements the University invested in building two new libraries: the Social Sciences Library opened in 2002 serving primarily students and staff in law, economy, social sciences, and by the end of 2005 the Life Sciences Library had been completed.

The University and National Library of University of Debrecen maintains a collection of more than 6 million volumes including 6000 printed journals (1600 international periodicals), 15000 electronic journals and numerous electronic databases. It provides a comfortable environment and technologically modern facilities for studying and research for the university's 30000 students and 1700 teaching staff.