- Library profile
- Admission requirements
- General information and bibliographical research
- Loans and reading room
- Electronic publications
- Technical equipment
1. Library profile
The library collects literature on public international law and foreign public law from all over the world and in all languages. The library has the status of a United Nations Depository Library since 1949 and is also a European Documentation Centre of the European Union.
The holdings of the library contain at present about 592.000 volumes. The library subscribes to about 2.680 current periodicals. The library is the largest European library in its field.
The United Nations Depository Library receives and collects all publicly accessible documents and publications of the United Nations as well as those of other international organizations. In addition, the United Nations Depository Library holds the publications of the League of Nations.
The European Documentation Centre collects all publications of the European Union.
Member of the International Federation of Library Associations IFLA.
2. Admission requirements
The library gives precedence to the Institute´s members of staff. Researchers from all over the world are welcome as guests.
Graduate students can use the library with the permission of the library director, if they present a letter of recommendation from their lecturer or supervisor.
The United Nations Depository Library and the European Documentation Centre are open to everybody.
3. General information and bibliographical research
General information about the catalogues, loans and the reading room will be answered by Mrs. D. Zatopkova. Particular questions about the different sections of the library will be answered by the members of the particular section.
For bibliographical research in the holdings of the library, the following tools are available:
treaty card index (updated until June 2005)
alphabetical card catalogue
classified card catalogue.
The OPAC contains the bibliographic records of all monographs and serials held by the library as well as titles on order and titles that are still in the process of cataloging. The titles of all periodicals held are listed. Since 1996, references to articles are listed.
The card catalogues provide information about the stocks up to 1997, and the periodicals up to 1993. Further information on the classified catalogue may be found in the library systematic index and a subject index.
For information about the holdings of the United Nations Depository Library or European Documentation Centre, please contact the member of staff of these sections.
4. Loans and reading room
The library is a reference library and its holdings are stored in closed stacks. An extramural loan is not permitted. The requested literature will be brought from the stacks following your order and handed out at the delivery desk.
For guests who stay only one day, the work spaces are located in the rotunda. The reading room with 60 work spaces is available for the use of guests who stay for a longer period in the Institute. At the allotted work spaces, the guests will find a connection for their laptops/notebooks.
5. Electronic publications
The Max Planck Society has licensed for its employees numerous electronic publications to which access is possible exclusively in Max Planck Institutes. For an overview consult:
- Max Planck Virtual Library (vLib)
- Informationsversorgung der MPG
The library staff offers help and advice for electronic information sources.
6. Technical equipment
Connections for laptops/notebooks are installed in the reading room.
In the foyer computer work stations are at your disposal for internet use, OPAC searches, CD-ROM searches and word-processing.
A coin-operated copy machine for guests is located in the foyer (price per copy: 0,05 €).