Valid from 3 March 2025

Preliminary Remarks

In order to help preserve Germany's cultural heritage, the German National Library collects, classifies and archives all printed and digital material published or distributed in Germany since 1913 along with foreign publications about Germany written in the German language. This includes all sheet music and music resources published in Germany. The German National Library is Germany's largest library with more than 34 million media units. It also houses a number of valuable, extensive special collections, the German Exile Archive 1933–1945 and the German Museum of Books and Writing. The German National Library’s holdings and services can be used in the reading rooms in Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main; they can also be accessed digitally through the World Wide Web where permitted by law. The library maintains cooperative relations nationally and internationally and is committed to developing the information infrastructure in Germany and Europe.

On 19. December 2024, the Administrative Council approved changes to the fee schedule based on section 4 subsection 3 of the Law regarding the German National Library. The amended fee schedule was approved by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media and came into force on 3 March 2025.

All gender-specific terms apply equally to all genders.

Invoicing Principles, Minimum Invoice Amount

The German National Library’s services are generally provided against payment of a fee. Expenses such as shipping costs are charged separately as described in section 10.2 of this Fee Schedule.
Users may be requested to pay fees and expenses in advance.

A minimum invoice amount of 10 Euro applies to orders for which an invoice is issued. This does not apply to use of the direct delivery service described in section 5 of this Fee Schedule.

1. User cards

Annual card 25.00 Euro

Weekly card 5.00 Euro

Young people aged under 20 (at the time they are approved as users) free of charge

Corporate card (companies and company departments up to 100 employees)
Annual card 170.00 Euro

Replacement user cards: Issue of a replacement card in the event of loss, theft or improper use
All-inclusive administration fee 10.00 Euro

Transferring a user card
Additional fee for use 50.00 Euro

Use of another person's user card
Additional fee for use 50.00 Euro

2. Information Services

Information services (bibliographic research, compilations of literature, information on title copyright, other information) are generally provided free of charge unless the research required is particularly difficult, i.e. in the case of time-consuming requests requiring more than 15 minutes of research. This also includes fruitless research that was requested despite the user having received prior information.

From the 16th minute of every quarter-hour begun 10.00 Euro

3. Self-Service Duplications and Duplications on Request¹

Archive copies are subject to special holding protection regulations. This means that the library can exclude individual works and certain parts of works from duplication on preservation grounds. The library is obliged to comply with applicable provisions for the protection of copyright in all cases.

The following forms of duplication are available on a self-service basis:

Paper copy: duplication on paper irrespective of the source medium

Digital copy² : duplication in electronic form: storage on a data carrier, e.g. a USB stick

¹ Registered users of the German National Library with valid user cards
² Digital copies available on a self-service basis where technically feasible.

3.1. Self-service duplications

Paper copy black/white
DIN A4 per page 0.10 Euro
DIN A3 per page 0.20 Euro

Paper copy colour
DIN A4 per page 0.50 Euro
DIN A3 per page 1.00 Euro

Self-service digital copy per page 0.05 Euro

3.2. Duplications on request

Paper copy black/white
DIN A4 per page 0.20 Euro
DIN A3 per page 0.50 Euro

Paper copy colour
DIN A4 per pagee 1.50 Euro
DIN A3 per pagee 2.50 Euro

Digital copy (resolution up to 200 dpi)
Expenses are charged separately³
DIN A4 per page 0.20 Euro
DIN A3 per page 0.40 Euro

Slides
DIN A4 black/white per page 1.00 Euro
DIN A4 colour per page 2.50 Euro

³See section 10

4. Duplication of audio/video media and electronic publications on data carriers

Only for media that are no longer available commercially, subject to applicable copyright regulations. Material costs are charged separately.

4.1. Clips for research or private study

Clips from CDs and other digital audio media
for each quarter-hour of runtime begun 5.00 Euro

Clips from DVDs and other digital or analog video media
for each quarter-hour of runtime begun 15.00 Euro

Clips from LPs, for each quarter-hour of runtime begun 7.00 Euro

Clips from shellac records and other analog audio media
for each quarter-hour of runtime begun 1 0.00 Euro

4.2. Clips for radio or commercial use

(only with the permission of the holders of the respective rights)
for each quarter-hour of runtime begun in addition to 4.1 10.00 Euro

4.3. Reproduction of electronic publications on data carriers

per quarter-hour of work time begun 10.00 Euro

5. Direct delivery of copies to registered⁴ users (Germany only)

The following fees are charged for this service, which includes the provision of black/white copies (paper or digital⁵) in DIN A4 format:

User group 1: Staff at universities, public institutions, libraries 7.50 Euro

User group 1a: Students at school and in higher education, trainees 6.50 Euro

User group 2: Private individuals 8.50 Euro

For all user groups:
The prices quoted are for 1-20 pages and include compensation for copyright claims;
each additional page 0.15 Euro

Postage costs are charged as applicable for copies sent by post.

⁴Registered in the German National Library portal. No user card is required in such cases.
⁵ Digital copies where technically feasible

6. Special Forms of Use

Special forms of use are those which do not take place in the reading room or involve interlibrary lending.

Media from the general collection and from special areas (for example the German Museum of Books and Writing, German Exile Archive 1933–1945) are made available for reproduction, reprints, digital reproduction and similar. A separate arrangement is required in such cases.

Additional fees are charged for work carried out by the German National Library (scans/copy > 200 dpi):

DIN A 4 per scan 1.50 Euro
DIN A 3 per scan 2.50 Euro

The person placing the order is obliged in all cases to obtain permission from the copyright and ancillary copyright holders and the holders of other rights.

Holders of rights can obtain master copies free of charge on presenting appropriate proof.

6.1. Items for reprinting

Provision of physical media, per title or item 2.00 Euro

6.2. Items for reproduction

Provision of items for reproduction, for individual parts of media, per unit 2.00 Euro

6.3. Issue of permanently archived items to authorised persons

Provision fee per item 12.00 Euro

Collective issue of more than 20 items depending on work involved

6.4. Digitisation of printed works incl. OCR

Basic fee per media work (including 1 – 20 pages) 15.00 Euro
Every additional page 0.25 Euro

7. Guided tours and visits to exhibitions

Guided tours, museum education activities, visits to exhibitions at the German Museum of Books and Writing and the German Exile Archive 1933–1945, special events (e.g. Museum Night, Science Night, Open Day)⁶ free

⁶ Guided tours can also be offered as part of programmes delivered by external providers. The separate fees charged by the external provider apply in such cases.

8. Flat rate fee for interlibrary loans

Per order submitted 1.50 Euro

9. Educational activities

Instruction fee (depending on work involved) on request

10. Other fees and expenses

10.1. Lost or damaged works

The following costs are charged for lost or damaged works:
Administration fee 20.00 Euro

The costs of procuring replacements are invoiced at the market price valid at the time the replacement is procured or at the antiquarian value as applicable.
If no originals are available, the costs of obtaining and binding copies are invoiced. Restoration fees (depending on work involved) minimum 15.00 Euro

Additional compensation claims are not affected.

10.2. Expenses

Expenses (e.g. shipping costs, costs of storage media or data carriers) are invoiced separately.

10.3. Cloakroom ticket

Loss of cloakroom ticket 10.00 Euro

10.4. Key to locker

Loss of key to locker 25.00 Euro

11. Powers Held by Director General

The Director General is authorised to issue orders extending the validity of the user cards described in section 1 for certain user groups, types of use, periods of time and locations and to issue orders discounting/waiving fees if and insofar as this is necessary to compensate for longer-lasting curtailments of use or this is appropriate in individual cases for certain user groups.

In cases of major expenditure incurring fees of more than 500 Euro, the Director General is authorised to charge a flat rate fee calculated on a time and material basis if this is lower.

Fee Schedule as PDF

Fee Schedule German National Library (Download PDF)