Valid from 2 January 2026

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 2 December 2025, 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 2 January 2026.

All gender-specific terms apply equally to all genders.

Invoicing Principles

There is generally a fee for access to the collections of the German National Library and usage of its services. Expenses such as shipping costs are charged separately as described in section 11.2 of this Fee Schedule. Users may be requested to pay fees and expenses in advance.

1. User cards

Annual card 25.00 Euro

Weekly card 5.00 Euro

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

Corporate card (valid for up to three persons)
Annual card 170.00 Euro

Institutional Card (publicly-funded institutions, valid for up to three people)
Annual card 25.00 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 provided free of charge for up to 15 minutes’ work. A fee is payable for searches which take longer than this. This also includes fruitless research that was requested despite the user having received prior information.

First quarter hour of work free of charge

Each additional quarter hour 15.00 Euro

3. Self-Service Duplications¹

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 basis²:

Paper copy: duplication on paper irrespective of the source medium

Digital copy³ : duplication in electronic form: storage on a data carrier, e.g. a USB stick

Paper copy black/white
DIN A4 per page 0.20 Euro
DIN A3 per page 0.40 Euro

Paper copy colour
DIN A4 per page 0.70 Euro
DIN A3 per page 1.40 Euro

Self-service digital copy per page 0.05 Euro

¹ Registered users of the German National Library with valid user cards
² Reproduction of musical holdings, audio/video media and electronic publications may only be carried out by Library staff. Costs are charged according to sections 4 and 5 of this schedule of costs.
³ Digital copies available on a self-service basis where technically feasible.

4. Reproduction by Library staff

4.1 Reproduction for collection in person

A fee of 5.00 Euro is charged for this service.

Paper copy black/white
DIN A4 per page 0.40 Euro
DIN A3 per page 0.80 Euro

Paper copy colour
DIN A4 per pagee 1.70 Euro
DIN A3 per pagee 2.80 Euro

Digital PDF working copy (up to 300 dpi resolution, jpg compression)
Extracts are charged as full pages. Expenses and costs for materials are charged in addition as per section 11.2.
DIN A4 per page 0.30 Euro
DIN A2 per page 0.60 Euro

Digital working copies of materials which require particularly careful handling.
DIN A4 – DIN A2 per page 1.50 Euro

High-quality repro-scans in PDF or TIF format (300–600 dpi, lossless compression)
charged per each quarter-hour commenced 15.00 Euro

4.2 Reproduction dispatch by post

A fee of 10.00 Euro is charged for this service, which includes the provision of A4 black/white copies (paper or digital⁴).

This price is valid for 1–10 pages; each additional page is charged according to the fees in section 4.1.

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

 
⁴ Digital copies where technically possible.

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

Reproductions are only permitted for works which are verifiably in the public domain or no longer commercially available, subject to the applicable copyright regulations.

A fee of 10.00 Euro is charged for this service. Expenses and costs for materials are charged in addition as per section 11.2. 

The following reproduction services are available for audio and video media:

5.1. Clips for personal use and non-commercial academic research

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

Clips from LPs, shellack records and other analogue audio media
for each quarter-hour of runtime begun 10.00 Euro

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

5.2. 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 5.1 10.00 Euro

5.3. Clips for rights-holders

(only on presentation of proof of rights ownership and identity) 
Costs are charged according to section 5.1 of this schedule.

The following conditions apply to electronic publications on storage carriers
for each quarter-hour of runtime begun 15.00 Euro

6. Special Forms of Use

Media from general holdings and special holdings (German Museum for Books and Writing, German Exile Archive 1933-1945, German Music Archive) are provided after consultation for the purposes of producing reprints, digitalised copies or similar by third parties or external parties. A separate arrangement is required in such cases.

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

A fee of 15.00 Euro per media item is charged for the digitisation of printed works (including OCR).

This fee is valid for up to 20 pages; each additional page costs 0.25 Euro

7. Metadata selection and provision

The costs of providing metadata via SFTP or WWW servers are calculated according to effort, but at least:

For title and authority data (Integrated Authority File) per order 135.00 Euro

For title and holdings data from the German Union Catalogue of Serials (ZDB for libraries)
per order 165.00 Euro

8. 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)⁵ free

⁵ 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.

9. Flat rate fee for interlibrary loans

Per order submitted 1.50 Euro

10. Educational activities

Instruction fee (depending on work involved): on request

11. 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.

11.2. Expenses

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

11.3. Loss of cloakroom ticket

15.00 Euro

11.4. Loss of key to locker

30.00 Euro

12. Authorised by the 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)