The Museo Correr and Library were founded in 1830 as the result of a bequest by the 
Venetian nobleman Teodoro Correr. The generosity of this original benefactor and numerous others – most from famous Venetian families (amongst them one might mention Emmanuele Antonio Cicogna in 1865 and Pompeo Molmenti in the 1920s) – means that the Library now houses a collection of great artistic and historic value. Covering more than seven centuries, the works include codices, minatures, incunabula, manuscripts, letters and printed volumes. Dedicating itself to the preservation of the works within its keeping, the Library is, in effect, a veritable museum of the written and printed word. However, it is also a constantly updated collection, with regular acquistions of publications in the various sectors it covers, making it into an important research facility for those working in the field of Venetian art and history. At the same time, it provides important in-house training for museum staff and those who work in the sector and is open to graduates and post-graduates from all over the world. In recent years the Museo Correr Library has seen the cataloguing of new accessions on the basis of the international standards adopted by the Italian National Library Service. This has meant that it has become part of Venice SBN network (headed by the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana), with the compilation of a common index of the various library collections.
The Correr Museum incorporates the Library of Venetian Art and History, with historical collections of manuscript and printed works, archive material and illuminated manuscripts and the Print and Drawings Cabinet.