Requests can be made via email or the request form of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

For every single book or copy that you request please send either a single email to international-loan@sbb.spk-berlin.de or a single IFLA request form to our address. For the payment method we participate in the IFLA voucher scheme.
Please note that requests via IFLA request form are only transmitted to other German libraries if we cannot supply the item you require.
 
Since 2018 the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin has also been member of the worldwide interlibrary loan network OCLC WorldShare ILL and accepts the payment method ILL Fee Management (IFM). Participating libraries can directly place requests at our library through OCLC WorldShare ILL. Our OCLC WorldShare ILL symbol is: S5B.

What are the charges for international interlibrary loan?

For requests via email or IFLA request form the following charges apply:
Europe:
-    1 IFLA voucher (= 8 EUR) per book
-    1 IFLA voucher (= 8 EUR) for copies of up to 20 pages
-    1.5 IFLA vouchers for copies of 21-30 pages
-    2 IFLA vouchers for copies of 31-40 pages
-    2.5 IFLA vouchers for copies of 41-50 pages

Outside Europe:
Copies:
-    1.5 IFLA voucher (= 12 EUR) for copies of up to 20 pages
-    2 IFLA vouchers for copies of 21-30 pages
-    2.5 IFLA vouchers for copies of 31-40 pages
-    3 IFLA vouchers for copies of 41-50 pages
Books:
-    3 IFLA vouchers (=24 EUR) per book

When you send an IFLA voucher to us, please ensure that we can match the voucher to your request.

WorldShare ILL

For information on charges and delivery conditions for requests through WorldShare ILL please have a look at OCLC Policies Directory.
 

• Publications published before 1851 (digitisation request possible)
• Volumes of the shelfmark group Krieg 1914/1918 and typewritten dissertations
• Large format volumes such as, e.g. newspapers
• Volumes in bad condition

If the requested item is also available in microfiche or microfilm format, the library will alternatively send this media type.

The loan period for libraries is six weeks. Renewals are possible. However, should an item be reserved or required for another reason, a renewal cannot be allowed. In some cases the item can even be recalled.

In principle, such requests are possible in special justified cases. For borrowing, please send us a request email with all relevant details.

All information on Blauer Leihverkehr can be found at Crossasia.

If you need copies of articles from specialised or scientific journals and copies of parts of a book, you can request copies via interlibrary loan at a large library in your region. Please note that per request only one article is allowed. In case of books copyright restrictions do allow only partial copies (not more than 10% of the complete work).
If your request is urgent, you can request via the fee-based document delivery service Subito (see below). The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin is a member library of the Subito service.

Due to current copyright law no copies from newspapers and so-called kiosk magazines are allowed. Only orders of articles from copyright-free newspapers and kiosk magazines are permitted and can be processed.

Subito is a fee-based direct delivery service. This service is open to both private and commercial users as well as to libraries outside Germany. Regarding Subito delivering libraries are committed to processing „normal service“ requests within 72 hours and „express service“ requests within 24 hours. For information on prices and How to order please look at the Subito website.
Via Subito the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin can only offer the delivery of copies of articles and parts of books, not of complete volumes.

The loan period for Interlibrary Loan requests usually complies with the regular loan period of your home library (ca. 30 days). In principle, renewals are possible. For information on renewal requests for interlibrary loan items from the holdings of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin for all other questions, please contact exclusively your home library. If a publication is reserved or is needed for another reason, the loan period cannot be renewed. In some cases the item can even be recalled.

Publications published before 1851 (digitisation request possible)

• Volumes of the shelfmark group Krieg 1914/1918 and typewritten dissertations
• Large format volumes such as, e.g. newspapers
• Volumes in bad condition

If the requested item is also available in microfiche or microfilm format, the library will alternatively send this media type.

Many older, copyright-free publications are already online available as so-called digitised items. You find digitised items of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin in our Digitised Collections.

The KVK - Karlsruhe Virtual Catalogue – also offers comprehensive Search possibilities for digitised media.