The Heritage of the Printed Book (HPB) database, maintained by CERL, is one of the world’s most important resources for the study of early printed books. It aggregates bibliographical records from research libraries and cultural heritage institutions, documenting the hand-press period and enabling research into the history of printing, book distribution, and provenance.
HPB focuses on works printed before 1850, especially those produced in Europe or in European languages worldwide. By bringing together data from multiple institutions, the database supports international scholarship, collection discovery, and collaborative cataloguing.
Users can start exploring participating institutions via the interactive map below. Clicking on an individual library provides access to its HPB records, allowing users to view holdings, compare editions, and identify copies across collections.
Map of Libraries with Records in the HPB Database
This map highlights libraries and projects contributing records to HPB. Selecting a location provides direct access to the records contributed by that institution. A list of the libraries that have contributed to the HPB is available here.