Finding a title in a digital portal can easily give the impression that it will be possible to read it straight away. The National Library’s announcements in 2026 show why it is worth looking one step further: a book’s catalogue entry, its digitisation and the way it can be consulted are three different pieces of information.
Two campaigns, two different situations
On 16 February, the BnL announced that more than 4,000 books from its Luxembourg Collection had been made available on eluxemburgensia.lu. The project concerns works that are no longer available through traditional commercial channels, under a pilot licence with Luxorr. The library mentions searches by title or author and full-text access.
The 14 July press release concerns a further 2,700 books, most of which are still commercially available. For this batch, the BnL specifies that the files can be consulted exclusively in the reading room. It links this restriction to the framework applicable to protected works and cites its collaboration with Luxorr and the Federation of Luxembourg Publishers.
These announcements therefore do not describe a single, uniform offer. Nor would adding the figures together give the total number of documents on the portal, which contains other collections.
The right question to ask before making a visit
To prepare a search, it is better to start with the exact reference rather than just the subject. A title may have several editions, and the one you are looking for may not be the one that has been digitised.
| What to note | Why it is useful |
|---|---|
| Author and title | Identify the document without relying on a vague keyword |
| Year and edition | Avoid confusing two versions |
| Catalogue entry or permanent link | Find the same documentary item again |
| Access conditions | Find out whether a visit is necessary |
If the catalogue entry does not clearly answer that last question, sending the reference to the library will be more effective than asking whether “the books are online” in general.
Reading an archive while keeping track of its details
Our recommendation while consulting a document is to note down the pages used and the bibliographic details straight away. A copied sentence without these references becomes difficult to check later, especially when comparing several editions.
Finally, access to read a document does not in itself establish what reproduction or republication is permitted. Before reusing a page, a cover or a lengthy extract, check the information applicable to the document and the intended use. Digitisation makes discovery easier; it does not replace this check.
Sources
- BnL: more than 4,000 books, announcement of 16 February 2026.
- BnL: 2,700 books available for consultation on site, announcement of 14 July 2026.
- Photograph: Dietmar Rabich.
- Image licence.
Sources consulted on 1 October 2026.
