Open Access

"Open access" is the term used to refer to (scientific) publications that are available to everyone. Open-access literature can be retrieved online free of charge and is published under so-called "open licences" (e.g. Creative Commons) that facilitate further use. Open licences contain clear, standardised terms and conditions under which the works may be used (e.g. copyright holders must be mentioned by name, works may not be used for commercial purposes, etc.). As a rule, open licences are referenced in the work itself and/or in the metadata with a permanent link that leads to the terms of use.

The German National Library makes no mandatory specifications in this respect with regard to deposits of online publications. The decision as to which rights of use or access apply to each publication in the German National Library's digital collections is made by the rights holders; alternatively, the rights are determined in accordance with the applicable copyright legislation. In principle, a distinction is made between publications without access restrictions and publications with access restrictions.

Publications without access restrictions

Publications without access restrictions (so-called "open-access (online) publications") can be used without prior registration regardless of the user's location. These works are usually no longer protected by copyright or are subject to licensing terms and/or legislation that allow them to be used free of charge worldwide.

DNBLab provides machine-readable datasets and open-access collections of digital objects for text and data mining purposes. The data sets only contain objects that are freely accessible online. Information on rights and licensing can usually be found in the bibliographic metadata:

DNBLab: Data sets

You can use the catalogue's filter function to filter publications without access restrictions by location "Online (open access)“ and then retrieve them by clicking on the link "Open archive object“ or "Open media“ resp. "Playing sound recordings“. Information on using the catalogue and and its search functionality: Using digital media.

Publications with access restrictions

Publications with access restrictions (so-called "protected publications") can only be viewed at the computer workstations in the German National Library's reading rooms in Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main. These works are usually protected by copyright and/or restricted by the rights holders so that they can only be used in the reading rooms.

For text and data mining purposes, a selection of copyrighted works can be used on the German National Library’s premises and in its technical infrastructure in the context of the annual DH Call after successfull application.

More information about DH call

You can use the catalogue's filter function to filter publications with access restrictions by material type "Online resources“ (@-Icon). You can recognise restricted access by the words "only in the reading room" added to the link or on the information page after clicking on the link. Information on using the catalogue and and its search functionality: Using digital media

Metadata and authority data

The German National Library provides metadata and authority data for general use at no charge. Bibliographic metadata and authority data can be researched in the catalogue and accessed automatically under Creative Common-Zero (CC0 1.0) terms using the text/data mining (DNBLab) and metadata services.

Metadata services

Further information

Service and collections of the German National Library:

• Study and research – what we can offer
• Use (on site and digital media)
• Collection of online publications
• Digitisation
• Submission (Collection mandate)
• Legal deposit on the provision of digital media works and metadata (only available in German)

Open Access in knowledge and research (Strategy, Practice, Recommendations):

• German Research Foundation (DFG)
• open-access.network
• Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)