For printed works the Oriental Department is responsible for

• Works in the languages of the Near East, Asia and Africa, with the exception of East Asian languages
• Translations of works from the languages of the Near East, Asia and Africa, including the East Asian languages Chinese, Korean and Japanese, into Western European languages
• Translations into the above mentioned languages (in part)

The conversion of the Oriental Department's old catalogues (card catalogues) “Alphabetischer Katalog II und III der Orientabteilung (AK-Or II/III)“ was completed in May 2015. Except for the periodicals, these old holdings of Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin are now available via StaBiKat. The Oriental Department's alphabetical catalogues (AK Or II and AK Or III) are specialised subject catalogues dedicated to the Oriental printed works of Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and its precursors (Königliche Bibliothek, Preußische Staatsbibliothek and Deutsche Staatsbibliothek).

The two converted catalogues of the Oriental Department primarily contain transliterated titles from various Asian and African scripts.  

• AK Or II lists works published up to 1974 according to the rules of “Preußische Instruktionen (PI)“.
• AK Or III indexes works published from 1975 up to ca. 1992 according to the rules of “Regeln für die alphabetische Katalogisierung in wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken (RAK-WB)“.

For the most part, the Oriental Department's printed works are catalogued in the StabiKat including parts of the old holdings and, since completion of the retro-conversion in 2015, the two card catalogues that Deutsche Staatsbibliothek der DDR took custody of after World War II:

• AK-Or II (publications up to 1974, acquisitions of Preußische Staatsbibliothek and Deutsche Staatsbibliothek der DDR), according to the rules of “Preußische Instruktionen (PI)“.
• AK-Or III (publications from 1975 to 1992, acquisitions of Deutsche Staatsbibliothek der DDR), according to the rules of “Regeln für die alphabetische Katalogisierung in wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken (RAK-WB)“.

The original card catalogues are still accessible in the basement of the Oriental and East Asia Reading Room.