It contains more than 3,000,000 documents, including 1,750 medieval manuscripts and numerous incunabula dating from the time of the Council of Basel (1431–87).

In 1988 the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue), the library of the Economics faculty (Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Zentrum, WWZ,) and the business archive of Switzerland (Schweizerisches Wirtschaftsarchiv, SWA) were also put into service.

The University Library collects various subject publications without restriction, but focuses on humanities, social and natural sciences, and medicine.

All in all, the university owns more than three million units of media, which places it among the major libraries of Switzerland.

Moreover, it is equipped with a rich old stock of enormous historical collections with about 1,750 manuscripts, early printings, music supplies, maps and portraits, mainly from Basel’s convents and its university.

The library is open to anyone older than 14, as well as people who live and work in Switzerland and cross-border regions, members of the university and the EUCOR-universities.