The first academic libraries were established in Romania during the second half of the nineteenth century, when the political, economic, social, and cultural development of the three Romanian Principalities—Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania—fostered the creation of the first universities, cultural associations, and scientific societies. The three most significant academic libraries in Romania are the Central University Library in Iasi (established in 1860), the Central University Library in Bucharest (established in 1864), and the Central University Library in Cluj-Napoca (established in 1872). In addition to these “big three” academic libraries in Romania, there are 48 other academic libraries that operate in conjunction with smaller government-funded universities throughout the country. In 1990, after the demise of the communist regime, the first private universities were founded in Romania. Most of them operate with no library whatsoever, whereas others have extremely modest libraries often located in one room. Government-sponsored academic libraries are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Research.

Special libraries like those that operate in the Anglo-Saxon world are nonexistent in Romania. Few institutions maintain collections that would equate the concept of a corporate library in the West. These are primarily research institutions that concentrate their holdings on a particular field of scientific research. In general, these libraries are affiliated with and funded by the parent institution whose employees and students they serve. The higher education system in Romania also comprises specialized schools (called institute, faculty, or academy) that operate as independent entities, overseen and funded by the Ministry of Education and Research. Each has subject-specific libraries. The Romanian Academy (established in 1879) oversees 47 research institutes in various fields such as history, ethnography, linguistics, and social sciences. Each institute is served by a library with a well-defined profile according to the research area it supports. The main branch in Bucharest, the Library of the Romanian Academy, hosts the largest and most valuable collection in the country.