Physical Resources


Library Collections

The Library's monographic holdings are divided into various thematic collections across the social sciences disciplines.
The volumes are placed on open shelves, organized by subject area according to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).

Loan policies vary by collection and are detailed in the Luiss Library Discovery, within each volume’s bibliographic description.

Monographs Room

The Monographs Room houses the Library's core collection, which includes over 20,000 volumes, including:

  • the collection of textbooks;
  • general reference works.

Departmental rooms (Economics, Law, Political Science)

The departmental rooms feature open shelves displaying the Library's new acquisitions in their respective subject areas.

Special Collections – Political Science Room

The Political Science Room also features several special collections:

  • Art Collection
    Dedicated to titles of interest in art, architecture, and design.
    Available on open shelves for on-site consultation only.
  • Marcello Tita Collection
    A collection dedicated to the theme of friendship, in memory of Luiss student Marcello Tita.
    The volumes are on open shelves and are available for consultation in the room or for loan.
Special Collections

The Library preserves and makes available, for internal consultation only, a number of personal collections of particular scientific and historical significance.

Fondo Vittorio Bachelet

Description: private library of Vittorio Bachelet, one of Luiss University's first Professors (1969-1974), donated to the Luiss Research Center on Public Administrations
Donation year: 1992
Item count: 1,897 volumes
Subject: Administrative and Public Law

Fondo Paolo Ungari

Description: private library of Professor Paolo Ungari
Donation year: 1999
Item count: 6,681 volumes
Subject: Human Rights, History of Law, Political History, and History of Institutions

Fondo Francesco Pujia

Description: private library of Senator Francesco Pujia
Donation year: 2000
Item count: 913 volumes and pamphlets
Subject: Criminal Law, Criminal (1930-31) and Civil (1942) Fascist law

Fondo Marcello Foschini

Description: private library of Marcello Foschini, Full Professor, Dean of the Law Department from 1988 to 2003, Deputy Rector from 2002 to 2005, and Rector of Luiss from June 16, 2005 to September 30, 2006
Donation year: 2022
Item count: 1,300 volumes
Subject: Commercial Law, Corporate Law and Public Law

Fondo Luciano Pellicani

Description: private library of Luigi Luciano Pellicani, professor emeritus of the Luiss Guido Carli University
Luciano Luigi Pellicani was one of the protagonists of the Italian political and cultural debate.
Genesis of Capitalism and the Origins of Modernity has been defined a "classic" by the prestigious American journal Telos, and his studies on revolutionary mentality – I rivoluzionari di professione and Revolutionary Apocalypse: Ideological Roots of Terrorism – continue to affect the scientific production of national and international scholars.
Pellicani has always advocated the importance of the historical-sociological method by providing interesting contributions also in the field of sociology of culture with, among others, Rajput.
Also, he anticipated Huntington's thesis on the clash of civilizations in the book Jihad: the roots, defined as a standard reference work.
He was a theorist of a liberal, antiauthoritarian democratic socialism and his theses on market socialism and reform pluralism are common heritage. For the versatility and continuity of his contributions translated into most European languages, Pellicani has inspired generations of scholars in several fields of the social sciences.
Prof.ssa Michela C. Pellicani
Donation year: 2022
Item count: 6,500 volumes
Subject: Sociology, Political Science and Cultural Anthropology
Notes: currently in process

Fondo Giuseppe Di Taranto

Description: private library of Giuseppe Di Taranto, Professor of the Luiss Guido Carli University from 2001
Donation year: 2023
Item count: 600 volumes
Subject: European Economic Policy, International Financial Crisis, History and Economic Development Theory

Chinese Collection

On June, 15th 2018, Luiss, Renmin University of China and The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China signed a trilateral agreement to create the Chinese Collection.

The project aims to establish a cultural center to promote and develop multilateral relations between China and Italy by:

  • the promotion of intercultural exchange and academic dialogue;
  • the creation of a physical space for cultural connection;
  • developing a library collection to support teaching and research.

The collections are selected based on the following thematic areas: 

  • Chinese art and culture
  • Chinese language and literature
  • Social sciences
Periodicals

The periodicals collection is located in the Periodicals Room of the Central Library.

  • The publications are arranged alphabetically by title
  • Available on open shelves
  • Approximately 600 current titles
  • For room use only

Periodicals are not available for loan.

Remote storage

The Library's initial collection of books and periodicals is housed on closed shelves in an external storage area, accessible only to Library staff.

The collection remains in its original location, arranged by progressive inventory, and includes:

  • monographs with call numbers “O” and “U” and numbers from 1 to 21277.

More information is available on the dedicated page.