The Ulpia Library, founded by Emperor Trajan in the year 114 AD. C. within the Forum of Trajan in ancient Rome, it is recognized as one of the most eminent and famous libraries of antiquity.[1]​ After the destruction of the Library of Alexandria in the 19th century, it assumed a crucial role in the cultural heritage of the Western world.[1]​ Noted for being the only Roman library that lasted until the fall of Rome in the middle of the century.[2]​.

In the year 112 AD. C., Emperor Trajan commissioned the construction of a library in his Forum, north of the Roman Forum, in the heart of the Roman Empire. Construction was completed in 114 AD. C. Upon completion, the Ulpia Library was the main library and academic center of Rome.[1]​ This library was also the Public Records Office of Rome[3]​ with over 20,000 scrolls containing records about the city's population.[4]​ The library was also equipped with presses to store both scrolls and books. During excavations, traces of these presses were discovered.[4] The collection of books and scrolls that did not belong to public records is believed to have been based on the private library of Epaphroditus of Chaeronea, which contained more than 30,000 books and scrolls.

At the beginning of the century, the contents of the Ulpia Library were moved to the Baths of Diocletian, possibly due to repairs, as the contents were returned at a later date. Records show that in the year 455 AD. C. a bust of Didonius Apollinaris was ordered there by order of Emperor Avitus.[5][2]​.

Following the tradition of the great Roman libraries, the Ulpia Library divided its collections into Latin and Greek, located in opposite spaces separated by a colonnaded courtyard next to Trajan's Column.[2] This two-story structure took advantage of natural lighting through high vaulted ceilings and had bays separated by columns in front of pilasters, creating niches for books and scrolls. Walkways allowed access to the shelves, and recesses at the ends housed statues, presumably of Trajan and perhaps Minerva. It is estimated that each library contained around ten thousand scrolls, in addition to significant archival materials, including edicts and decrees, as well as notable works such as Caesar's autobiography and Trajan's commentaries on the Dacian Wars.[6] The design, which prioritized aesthetics and functionality for reading, did not contemplate expansion of the collection.