On November 1st, 75 years have passed since the University Library was founded. The main building of the University of Iceland was inaugurated on June 17th, 1940, and later that year, the library was found a place in its back wing. At that time, the libraries of the Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Law of the University of Iceland were merged into one collection. These libraries had originally been built up by the Seminary (founded in 1847), the Faculty of Medicine (founded in 1876), and the Faculty of Law (founded in 1908), but were then maintained by the respective faculties of the university. The library of the Faculty of Philosophy also moved to the new collection, as that faculty was founded at the same time as the university itself, that is, in 1911.

In an article by former university librarian Einar Sigurðsson, published in Sál aldanna (1997) , he says of the inauguration of the new building: "It was a joyous moment for the supporters of an institution that had long struggled with inadequate housing, even though it was taking place in the shadow of a world war and occupation."

The entrance to the library was from the vestibule opposite the main door. The library was on three floors, with the university's conference hall above. All of the library's activities were housed in the main building of the university until 1963, but from then on, branches and reading rooms for students were established in other buildings, as the library's premises had become very cramped. The number of branches from the library reached a maximum of eighteen, and in Lögberg there is still a fairly large branch intended for the university's law faculty. Most other branches have been closed down and the collection was moved to the National Library. The library received the conference hall temporarily in 1986 due to overcrowding, and it was used as a reference room and reading room. The Alþingi resolved to merge the University Library and the National Library at the spring session of 1957, and this always had a considerable influence on changes in the library, as they always took into account the expected merger. The prerequisite for the unification was new premises, but the Althingi did not decide on the construction of the National Library until 1970. The building was to be a gift to the nation on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the settlement of Iceland in 1974. As is well known, the construction of the library dragged on for a long time, and the new unified museum did not become a reality until the fiftieth anniversary of the republic in 1994.

There were three University Librarians: Dr. Einar Ólafur Sveinsson was University Librarian until 1945, when Dr. Björn Sigfússon took over and held the position until 1974. That year, Einar Sigurðsson took over and held the position until the library merged with the National Library and moved to the current location.

At first, there was only one permanent employee in the library, the university librarian himself, in the years 1964-1974 the number increased to eight and when the library finally moved to the National Library, the staff had grown to a total of 22 plus a few who were hired specifically to prepare for the move. In the 1960s, organized library education began to be offered, catalogues and brochures were published and interlibrary loan services were offered. In the early 1970s, operations were thriving, but the years 1975-1985 were marked by a defensive struggle, as Einar's overview shows. However, computer searches in foreign databases began to be carried out towards the end of the period. Various technical innovations were introduced, such as computer cataloging of publications, which began in 1986. Book and magazine purchases increased considerably during these years. The Libertas computer system was put into use in December 1991 and was given the Icelandic name Gegnir. Congestion began to become noticeable in the mid-1980s. The university's banquet hall was converted into a reading and reference room, as previously mentioned, and the Benedikt S. Þórarinsson special collection was moved in 1991 to a classroom on the 2nd floor of the university's main building, while its previous space was converted into a work space.

At the end of his article, Einar says: "The University Library operated for half a century and four years better. For most of it, it had a rather difficult time. A lack of manpower plagued it from the start, and as it progressed, it was severely affected by housing shortages. The library's main responsibilities were, of course, tied to the university community, but it was also open to others who had a legitimate need to use it, both learned and lay, whether they sought it in connection with their work or out of personal interest and a need to enrich their spirit.

The entire second half of the University Library's tenure was shaped, directly or indirectly, by the preparation of what was to come, i.e. becoming part of a larger whole and a more powerful collection after merging with the National Library. Its employees worked hard to ensure that information technology continued to make its way into the library, they were active in preparing a new building for the new merged library, the Nationaland University Library of Iceland, and worked diligently on its organizational issues and operational plans.

Based on: Einar Sigurðsson (1997): University Library 1940-1994 in “Sál aldanna. Safn greina um bókasöfn og skyld efni.” [Reykjavík]: Social Sciences Institute of the University of Iceland, University Publishing, pp. 99-109.