The University
The University of Barcelona (UB) was founded in 1450 and is the foremost public university in Catalonia, with the largest course offering and the largest student population. It is also the leading centre of university research in Spain and one of the most prominent research universities in Europe. The UB is a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and leads the Charm-EU European University alliance.
The CRAI
The UB's Learning and Research Resources Centre (CRAI) offers the university community and wider society access to 16 CRAI libraries, 14 of which provide specific support for teaching, learning, and research in their disciplinary areas, while the remaining two contain the university's heritage collections: the Pavelló de la República CRAI Library, specialized in contemporary history (Spanish Second Republic, the Spanish Civil War and exile, the Franco regime and Spain's transition to democracy) and Rare Book and Manuscript CRAI Library which holds one of the largest antique collection in Spain, consisting of manuscripts, incunabula and printed books between 1501 and 1820.
The CRAI is also formed by a series of technical units, the Plant Biodiversity Resources Centre (CeDocBiV), which holds one of the largest herbariums in Spain, the Digitization Centre (CEDI) a leading national centre in its field, operating at the highest European quality levels, and an ancient book Restoration Workshop, the only facility of its kind in the Catalan university library network.
The placement
Are you an information and documentation professional in the world of university education? Are you interested in completing a CRAI placement at the University of Barcelona?
Within the framework of the Erasmus+ Staff Training Programme, the UB offers a one-week placement during which you will learn first-hand about the work of our CRAI libraries, cross units and other CRAI facilities.
We can also arrange more personalized options to suit your specific interests. This is the case of the Rare Book and Manuscript CRAI Library, which offers stays aimed at librarians specializing in old book collections.
The experience
 | Ho avuto l'opportunità di conoscere spazi, collezioni, servizi e strumenti del CRAI e di approfondire le tematiche attuali della nostra professione grazie ad uno scambio sempre ricco di spunti e riflessioni. (Romina) |
 | Thank you for this fascinating glimpse into the printed heritage of Barcelona, it was great to learn from you first-hand how to preserve the memory of a place! (Thomas) |
 | I had a unique opportunity to learn totally new things about early printed books, but most importantly to exchange information and experiences with CRAI Library librarians. (Martyna) |
 | A great opportunity to share and benefit from the experiences of colleagues from other European libraries. (Friederike) It was very curious to see the incunabula stored. (Aušra) |
 | Una settimana che avrei voluto non finisse mai. (Cristiana) Regresamos a nuestras instituciones con nuestras maletas repletas de ideas. (David) |
 | We found it especially interesting that most of the collections come from different Catalonian convents. (Jenny & Åsa) |
 | This week we have learnt a lot about the collection here but we have also learnt a lot about Barcelona and Catalan history. (Sarah) |
 | It was a unique visit and a remarkable experience, and I learnt a great deal of new information from you. I also found you all to be very warm and friendly, and I am very grateful for that. (Małgorzata) |
 | It was a great experience for me not only because of the interesting sessions, but also because I could observe how such a large system works so efficiently through the excellent cooperation among the colleagues. I learned a lot during this week. (Angella) |
Contact
Office of Mobility and International Programs
Pavelló Rosa (Recinte de la Maternitat)
Travessera de les Corts, 131-159 08028 Barcelona (Map)
Phones: +34 934 021 709 | +34 934 035 380
