The University of Peradeniya library is a centrally administered network of libraries in the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. It is considered the oldest academic library in Sri Lanka and one of the largest libraries in Sri Lanka today.HistoryIt was founded as the University College Library in 1921. With the amalgamation of the Ceylon University College and the Ceylon Medical College in 1942 to form the first university in Sri Lanka, the University of Ceylon, University College library became the University of Ceylon library. At the time this transformation occurred, the library contained nearly 30,000 items. The entire facility was moved to Peradeniya in 1952, with the establishment of a new seven story building in the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya campus. The first donation to the library was the valuable and extensive collection on history, literature and oriental studies of late Arunachalam Padmanabha donated by his father Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam. The Vol. 1 of the 11th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica was given the accession number 1.The University of Peradeniya library has changed its name from time to time as follows: Library, Ceylon University College (1921 to 1942)Library, University of Ceylon (1942 to 1952)Library, University of Ceylon, Peradeniya (1952 to 1972)Library, Peradeniya Campus, University of Sri Lanka (1972 to 1978)Library, University of Peradeniya (since 1979) The scholar H. A. I. Goonetilleke served the library as chief librarian from 1971 to 1979 and is largely responsible for its growth.