What do the Staatsbibliothek’s collections have to offer?

The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library) is a general research library with ten million books and periodicals and various other items such as manuscripts,music,maps and microfilmed materials.

General access to the collections

Stocks in the General and Special Reading Rooms, and in information sections can be accessed on site without any particular formalities. Items can only be viewed on site, outside loan is not permitted. For information on the organisation of these items, please consult reading room staff or the leaflets "Allgemeine Lesesäle – Haus Unter den Linden" (General Reading Rooms – Unter den Linden) and "Allgemeiner Lesesaal – Haus Potsdamer Straße" (General Reading Room – Potsdamer Straße).
The bulk of our stocks is stored in stacks not accessible on site. With the help of our electronic loan system, required volumes can be ordered for reading room viewing or outside borrowing.

How do I find what I am looking for in the Staatsbibliothek?

Collections are listed in catalogues and databases. The main source f information is the Staatsbibliothek’s online public access catalogue StaBiKat), accessible via PCs in the catalogue centre in Potsdamer Straße ground floor), at the information centre on the Unter den Linden site, or n the General Reading Rooms. The catalogue locates the item concerned - for example in a reading room, an internal reference library or in a stack. Once an item has been found, the StaBiKat connects you directly to our electronic ordering system.

The StaBiKat can also be accessed on the Internet: http://stabikat.de.

Most of the library’s inventory is listed in the StaBiKat. It is supplemented with other online catalogues documenting special materials. Some of the Staatsbibliothek stocks are only listed on conventional catalogues (card catalogues and microfiche catalogues). Please consult staff at one of our information desks before using these catalogues.