The WLB is one of two state libraries of Baden-Württemberg, the other being the Badische Landesbibliothek (BLB) at Karlsruhe.

The library is entitled to a legal deposit of every work published in Baden-Württemberg (before 1964: in Württemberg).

Most of the monasterial collections, however, were given to the Royal Library (Königliche Handbibliothek), founded by King Frederick I in 1810.

The most valuable items had already been stored at a safe place outside Stuttgart, but approximately half of the collection (over 400,000 volumes) was lost in the fire that followed an air raid on 12–13 December 1944.

The losses included all literature after 1930, many complete thematic sections, many newspapers and magazines and most of the former Court Library.

Regional publishing houses tried to help achieve this goal by donating large numbers of books to WLB.