Biblioteca Passerini Landi

What Biblioteca Passerini Landi does

Biblioteca Passerini-Landi is the central public library of the Italian city of Piacenza, founded in 1774 and operated by the municipal government (Comune di Piacenza) under cultural heritage protection (D.Lgs.42/2004). It functions as both a historical conservation library and a modern public reading institution, managing five physical branches (Passerini-Landi, Dante, Giana Anguissola, Farnesiana, Besurica) and a portfolio of digital service platforms. Core collections include the 1877 Pallastrelli bequest (1,700+ digitized volumes), the 2019 MacKay donation (~8,000 volumes), 16th-17th century Piacentine editions, the full Libertà newspaper archive (1883-2015), and 147 local historical periodical titles being digitized under PNRR funding.

The library's technology stack comprises four interconnected platforms: LeggerePiace (the SBN-integrated OPAC for the Piacenza library system), EmiLib (the regional Emilia-Romagna digital library powered by MLOL, providing ebooks, digital press via PressReader, and audiobooks), Lodovico Media Library (an IIIF-based open-access platform developed by DHMoRe/University of Modena and Reggio Emilia for digitized cultural heritage, with the Lodovico+ mobile app launched June 2026), and Teche Digitali (a DOMLib-powered portal for historical card catalogs and digitized editions, developed with Keidos srl). Supporting services include online reference (Chiedi @lla Biblioteca), digital literacy programming (Pane & Internet), and accessibility services (Sportello CAA).

All services are provided free of charge; the institution generates no commercial revenue and is funded by municipal budgets, regional and European grants (including a €6.63M PR FESR 2021-2027 ATUSS allocation for Palazzo San Pietro restoration beginning October 2025), and project-specific PNRR funding. It currently employs 7 staff, serves all Piacenza residents and visitors, and operates with no private equity, venture capital, or public-market ownership structure.

Name

Biblioteca Passerini Landi

Legal name

Biblioteca Passerini-Landi

Website

https://passerinilandi.piacenza.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1774

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biblioteca Passerini-Landi is a public municipal library in Piacenza, Italy (est. 1774), operated by the Comune di Piacenza. It provides free public access to historical and contemporary collections across five physical branches and four digital platforms (LeggerePiace, EmiLib, Lodovico, Teche Digitali), serving residents, researchers, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Historical archive digitization
• Digital library platform
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Reading promotion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Piacenza

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Biblioteca Passerini-Landi is a public municipal library providing free access to physical and digital collections, conservation of historical heritage, and community reading programs for citizens of Piacenza. Its core offerings include the LeggerePiace OPAC catalog, EmiLib regional digital library (ebooks/audiobooks/digital newspapers), Lodovico Media Library for digitized cultural heritage on IIIF, and Teche Digitali for historical archives including the Libertà newspaper (1883–2015). Supporting services include online reference, digital literacy programs, accessibility services, and active reading groups.

Product overview

Biblioteca Passerini Landi is the central public library of Piacenza, established in 1774 and housed in Palazzo San Pietro. Its digital service portfolio consists of five interconnected platforms: LeggerePiace (the OPAC for the city's multi-branch library system), EmiLib (the regional digital library powered by MLOL offering e-books, digital press, and audiobooks), Lodovico Media Library (the open-access IIIF-based platform hosting digitized heritage from the Digit@Piacenza project), and Teche Digitali (the historical archive portal for digitized catalogues, periodicals, and the Libertà newspaper). Supporting services include online reference (Chiedi @lla Biblioteca), a mobile app (Lodovico+), digital literacy programming (Pane & Internet), and accessible services (Sportello CAA, accessibility resources). The library is currently undergoing major restoration funded by PR FESR 2021-2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lodovico Media Library: Digital platform for cultural heritage from archives, libraries and museums in digitized form, developed by University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
• EmiLib
• LeggerePiace
• Piacenza che Legge

Products and services

• LeggerePiace (OPAC) Online public access catalog (OPAC) of the Polo Bibliotecario Piacentino, enabling users to search, reserve, and manage loans across all municipal library branches (Passerini-Landi, Dante, Farnesiana, Giana Anguissola, Besurica). Integrated with the national SBN cataloging system.
• EmiLib (Biblioteca Digitale Emiliana) EmiLib is the Emilia-Romagna regional digital library platform powered by MLOL, offering free access to e-books, digital newspapers (PressReader), and audiobooks for registered library users across the provinces of Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, and Ferrara.
• Lodovico Media Library Open-access platform developed by DHMoRe (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) hosting digitized cultural heritage from Biblioteca Passerini-Landi, including manuscripts, volumes from the Pallastrelli collection, maps, prints, and photographs from the Digit@Piacenza project. Built on IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework) for high-definition viewing and user annotations.
• Teche Digitali Digital archive portal powered by DOMLib (Digital Object Manager for Libraries) software, providing access to historical handwritten card catalogues of the Landi Fund, the complete run of the Libertà newspaper from 1883 through 2015, 205 digitized 16th–17th century Piacentine editions, and 27 digitized 19th and 20th-century periodicals.
• Chiedi @lla Biblioteca (Online Reference) Online reference service allowing users to submit questions to librarians digitally through the LeggerePiace platform.
• Lodovico+ Mobile App Official mobile application for Lodovico Media Library, available on Android and iOS, providing optimized mobile access to explore digitized manuscripts, books, photographs, and art objects.
• Pane & Internet (Digital Literacy Program) Digital literacy program promoted by Regione Emilia-Romagna under the regional digital agenda, offering events and courses on digital culture at the library.
• Sportello CAA (Alternative Communication Service) Accessibility service at Biblioteca Giana Anguissola providing Comunicazione Aumentativa Alternativa (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) support, operated by Associazione La Matita Parlante with trained volunteers and AUSL educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Piacenza recognized as 'Città che legge' by Centro per il libro e la lettura and ANCI
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DHMoRe (Centro interdipartimentale di ricerca sulle Digital Humanities - Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia)coreTechnology or IntegrationDHMoRe developed and maintains the Lodovico Media Library platform used for Digit@Piacenza. The platform uses IIIF standards and enables interoperability with international cultural heritage institutions (Vatican Library, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, British Library, Getty Museum).
• Università di Bologna e ParmaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner universities in the Lodovico Media Library project alongside DHMoRe, contributing to the digital humanities research and valorization of the digitized collections.
• ETT SpaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerETT Spa conducted the cataloging, digitization and metadata creation of cultural assets for the Digit@Piacenza project.
• MLOL (Media Library Online)coreTechnology or IntegrationEmiLib is the regional digital library platform based on MLOL technology, providing access to ebooks, audiolibros, and digital newspapers. Lodovico is complementary to MLOL and is cited as its 'precious complement.'
• Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese (Comune di Piacenza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner in the Digit@Piacenza project, contributing coins, inscriptions, paintings, and two historic carriages for digitization alongside the library's collections.
• Comune di PiacenzacoreOthersThe Comune di Piacenza is the parent public administration entity. The library is part of the Comune's cultural services. It hosts the library website and coordinates the Piacenza che Legge reading promotion program.
• ArteViva EtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural association that collaborated with artist Koté on the 'Vita Nova' mural artwork installed at the renovated Biblioteca Dante, as part of the Comune's Urban Art Guidelines.
• La Matita Parlante (Associazione)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation providing the Sportello CAA (Communicazione Aumentativa Alternativa) service at the Giana Anguissola library, with trained volunteers and AUSL educators supporting alternative communication needs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana: Historic Florentine conservation library with rare manuscripts and special collections, operating under Italian state heritage authority. Comparable in its dual role of historical preservation and scholarly access.
• Biblioteca Ambrosiana: Historic library in Milan with major manuscript and rare book collections, comparable in operating as a heritage library providing both conservation and public/scholarly access services.
• Biblioteca Palatina di Parma: State conservation library in Parma with similar historic mandate and special collections role within Emilia-Romagna. Shares the regional digital ecosystem (EmiLib/MLOL) and faces comparable heritage-building operational constraints.
• Biblioteca Comunale di Bologna: Municipal public library system of Bologna with multiple branches and combined historic/modern public service mission. Comparable multi-branch structure, SBN/NILDE participation, and EmiLib regional digital library integration.
• Biblioteca Estense: Historic conservation library in Modena serving as a sister regional institution within Emilia-Romagna. Comparable in function as a public conservation library with significant special collections, digitisation initiatives, and integration with national SBN infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Bibliothèque nationale de France: National library of France with large-scale digitisation initiatives and IIIF-based platforms (Gallica). Cited as a Lodovico Media Library interoperable peer, providing a comparable reference model for institutional digital strategy.
• British Library: UK national library with major digitisation programmes and IIIF integration. Listed as a Lodovico Media Library interoperable peer and represents a benchmark for combining historical conservation with modern digital public services.
• Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze: Italian national central library receiving legal deposit copies, with extensive digitisation programmes and SBN integration. Comparable as a high-tier Italian library institution serving both preservation and access mandates.
• Vatican Apostolic Library: Major global cultural heritage institution with extensive digitisation programme using IIIF standards. Listed explicitly as an interoperable peer in the Lodovico Media Library ecosystem, representing the gold standard for digital heritage accessibility.

Emerging players

• Biblioteca Digitale Italiana: Consortium platform aggregating digitised Italian cultural heritage from libraries and archives. Comparable as a digital cultural heritage aggregator operating in the same institutional ecosystem as Passerini-Landi's Teche Digitali.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXc3ZCm0aRN1MwqN9i2EmTg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/passerinilandi
• Instagraminstagram.com/biblioteca.passerinilandi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biblioteca-passerini-landi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Biblioteca Passerini Landi