The importance of the Rare Book and Manuscript CRAI Library derives from the size and quality of the collection it houses. Following the passing of ecclesiastical confiscation laws in 1835-1836, Barcelona's library collections from convents, which possessed numerous important manuscripts, incunabula and prints dating from 1501 to 1820, were brought together at the University to create a major public library.
The Physics and Chemistry CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for teaching and research activities at the two faculties for the courses: Physics, Chemistry, Materials Engineering, Electronic Engineering and Chemical Engineering.
The Philosophy, Geography and History CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for teaching and research activities at the two faculties for the courses: Anthropology, Archaeology, Philosophy, Geography, History and Art History.
It also has a large map library, containing maps from all geography-related disciplines.
The Philology and Communication CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for the teaching and research activities at the Faculty of Philology and Communication: Communication and the Culture Industry, English Studies, Arab and Hebrew Studies, Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, Catalan, Spanish, French Language and Cultures, Classics, Linguistics, Modern Language and Literature and Romance Languages and Literatures.
The Pharmacy and Food Science CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for teaching and research activities at the Faculty for the courses: Pharmacy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Food Science and Technology and Degree in Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences.
Its collections include the Grewe Collection on food and gastronomy.
The Pavelló de la República CRAI Library is considered one of the leading archive libraries in the world on the Spanish Second Republic, the Spanish Civil War and exile, the Franco regime and Spain's transition to democracy.
The Mundet Campus CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for teaching and research activities for courses on the Campus -Teacher Training in Early Childhood Education, Teacher Training in Primary Education, Education, Social Education, Social Work and Psychology- and for masters of Education i de Psychology.
Mathematics and Computer Science CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for teaching and research activities at the Faculty for the courses: Mathematics and Computer Engineering. It is also used by researchers at the University of Barcelona Institute of Mathematics (IMUB). It is a founding member of Documat.
The Law CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for teaching and research activities at the Faculty for the courses: Law, Political and Administration Sciences, Public Management and Administration, Industrial Relations, Criminology and Criminal Policy, Private Investigation and the UB-specific undergraduate degree in Public and Private Security.
The Information and Audiovisual Media CRAI Library provides comprehensive materials for study and research activities at the Faculty for the courses: the degrees of Information and Digital Documentation Management, and Audiovisual Communication. And the different master's degrees and postgraduate courses: School Library and Reading Promotion, Libraries and Heritage Collections, Digital Content Management, Management and Direction of Libraries and Information Services, Digital Humanities.