The role of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is to conduct research in Icelandic studies, disseminate knowledge of those studies and preserve and strengthen the collections which the Institute owns or which have been entrusted to it.
The Institute's diverse activities extend to all groups in the community and include advising on Icelandic language, language usage, place names and other names. School groups are invited to visit under the guidance of the Institute's instructor, to learn about the mysteries of its manuscripts. In the summer, courses are held for students wishing to learn Icelandic as a foreign language. The Institute also operates a summer school in manuscript studies and arranges various events for the public all year round.