NDL is a federal state information system set up by the Ministry of Culture with the participation of major libraries, museums, archives, publishers and other rightholders for the purpose of preserving the historical, scientific and cultural heritage of Russian Federation, ensuring conditions for increasing the intellectual potential of the Russian Federation and popularization of Russian science and culture, as well as laying the foundations for the creation of a single Russian electronic knowledge space.

In NDL database there are electronic books, including rare and valuable editions, manuscripts, dissertations, abstracts, monographs, art-books, notes, cartographic editions, patents and periodicals. More than two thirds of documents can be read freely on the NDL portal or via mobile applications. The volume of the fund is about 5 million titles. Database is available in reading room "Professorskiy", in reading room of reference and informational resources and in electronic resources hall.