In the year 1996 the Library was granted the status of a research institute; there are three following major domains of its research activities: the documentary memory of Ukraine; the scientific and bibliographic study and revelation of the Library’s reserves, collections and compilations; and, finally, the Library Studies, Bibliography Studies and Book Studies problems.

The Library has successfully accomplished a number of ambitious scientific goals, including fundamental publications production in such fields as Book Studies, Press Studies, and Source Studies. The Library has also become home to the scientific school of Book Studies and those of Press Studies. In addition, it hosts several research groups, like those studying printed anciently books and manuscripts, as well as those whose interests lay in the area of artwork and musical heritage.

Nowadays, the Library is strongly dedicated to the realization of one of the most extensive bibliographic tasks in modern Humanities, which is the creation of the national bibliography of Ukrainian books and periodicals of the 18-20th cc. Some important steps have already been taken, that is, the publication of the materials of the archival card index named “The Ukrainian Book Repertory” in six volumes has been completed in between 1991 and 2006. The second phase of this landmark project has started with the beginning of the formation of the multivolume bibliography named “The Ukrainian Book in Halychyna, Bukovyna, Zakarpattya and Volyn regions, with the register of the Ukrainian Emigration books appendix, years 1914-1939”.

Among other projects, there has been published the first volume of the larger historical and bibliographic edition; this part appeared under the name of “The Ukrainian Press of the 19-20 cc. in Ukraine and in the world: the historical and bibliographic research. – V. 1: 1812-1890.” It includes annotated descriptions of the Ukrainian periodicals which were issued in between 1812 and 1890 in Ukrainian, with various dialects and spelling rules considered, and in other languages on the ethnic Ukrainian land occupied by Russia and Austro-Hungary (that is, Eastern Halychyna, Bukovyna, Zakarpattya, Volyn, Polissya, Pidliashya, Holmshchyna and Lemkivshchyna regions) as well. What is more, the publication contains information on the Ukrainian press being issued within the same time span in other European countries, in Canada, and in both Americas. The second and the third volumes of the future edition have also been prepared for publication.

As a part of the scientific and bibliographic study and revelation of rare collections and compilations belonging to the Library, there was published a catalog named “The Manuscript Books in Cyrillic from collections of the Lviv Vasyl Stefanyk Library Manuscript Department. – V. 1 (11-16 cc.)”, being the result of the Department’s scientists’ teamwork of many years and the model scientific and analytical study in the field of Source Studies.

The Library’s manuscript and archival reserves became the basis for various kinds of research. The scientists are constantly involved in large-scale publishing activities, as well as those of studying (and publication) of early texts. Restoration and conservation are other important domains of research work and deserve to be considered unique, especially if to take into account the fruitful results and much verified experience this work brings.

The Library personnel’s research activities between 1991 and 2007 resulted in the publication of 23 monographs, 27 works in the field of history combined with Book Studies and that of history combined with bibliography; 38 compilations of studies; publications in collected articles; 125 bibliographic indexes and reference catalogs, and, finally, 10 papers in the field of Source Studies (document publications). The estimated total amount of the published material is 6,000 nominal sheets, whilst the number of printed copies equals to 100,000. Apart from that, the members of the Library’s staff also published about 2,000 articles on the problems of Book Studies, Source Studies and the history of culture.

With regards to the periodicals, the Lviv Vasyl Stefanyk Library issues such annual publications as “The Lviv National Vasyl Stefanyk Academic Library transaction” and “The collection of The Scientific and Reference Periodicals Center papers”.

The scientific workers of the Library annually present their reports and announcements at various conferences and seminars held in different countries, which testifies to the Library’s research work being conducted at a very high level, as well as its subjects being utterly topical.

Thus, the Lviv National Vasyl Stefanyk Academic Library has proven to be one of the leading institutions with respect to the research activities in such areas as Book Studies, Library Studies, and the history of books and periodicals of the 18th-the beginning of the 20 cc., being engaged in compiling multivolume reference publications, numerous bibliographical indexes, as well as in publishing monographs and popular science studies within the frame of its scientific interests range.