The Royal Library of Belgium was founded in 1837. Its history really started however with the Library of Burgundy, a collection of 900 manuscripts acquired in the 15th century by the dukes of Burgundy.The Royal Library of Belgium is a scientific Institution of the federal State. Since 1966, under the Legal Deposit Law, it has been charged with collecting and cataloguing every Belgian publication. It plays the role of a general conservatory of the national heritage, not only in the field of books and periodicals, but also in the field of maps and plans, engravings, coins and medals and printed music.It acquires scientific information in every discipline. The KBR carries out tasks relating to the national information structure, library cooperation and library research.