After the foundation of the university in 1477, the library was located at the so-called Sapienzhaus, later it was moved to the Alte Aula, the former main building of the university, then to Hohentübingen Castle (all of those in the old town (Altstadt) of Tübingen).

The oldest building of the library at its current location (officially part of the town's architectural cultural heritage) was completed in 1912; the architect was Paul Bonatz.

The main library is located centrally in the university quarter of Tübingen, east of the old town, on Wilhelmstraße, near most of the university buildings of the arts, humanities and the social sciences faculties.

In 1776 the library housed 15,000 items; by 1822, this number had increased to 60,000, by 1912 to 514,000 and by 1963 to 1.204 million.

Around 340,000 people, more than three times the population of the town of Tübingen, were registered as users (as usage is not only limited to enrolled students of the university (approx.