Searching and finding

Quick search access to catalogues and databases (selection)

Journals

Zeitschriftendatenbank

The largest database of the world for periodicals, newspapers, etc., with 1.9 million title entries in all languages and 16.8 million holdings records of German and Austrian libraries.

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Newspapers

Zeitschriftendatenbank

The largest database of the world for periodicals, newspapers, etc., with 1.9 million title entries in all languages and 16.8 million holdings records of German and Austrian libraries.

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BSB DISCOVER!

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Books

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Journals

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Newspapers

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Manuscripts

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Articles

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Sheet music

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Maps

BSB DISCOVER!

Library catalogue with media of all types belonging to the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, sheet music, manuscripts or electronic media such as e-books, e-journals or databases | Articles and more, predominantly containing articles from e-journals and databases

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Databases

Find a database

Database Information System (DBIS) with around 3,400 databases on all areas of specialisation (for articles, biographies, statistics, images, maps, newspapers, encyclopaedias, etc.): Please determine which database is relevant for your topic/ your search. Out of the total offer, 2,750 databases are freely accessible and 650 are accessible with the BSB identification code.

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Databases

Databases – Browse by Subject

The overview of fields of specialisation in the Database Information System (DBIS): Proceeding from the overview of fields of specialisation, you can select the relevant databases. Important databases in the respective field are on top of the list as "TOP databases". 2,750 databases are freely accessible and 650 are accessible with the BSB identification code.

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Databases

Database list A-Z

The "alphabetical list" in the Database Information System (DBIS): The overview allows you to select the relevant database for your search. 2,750 databases are freely accessible and 650 are accessible with the BSB identification code.

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Books

Sammlung: E-Books

Proceeding from the overview of e-book platforms in the Database Information System (DBIS), you can select the matching database, e.g. ProQuest Ebook Central or SpringerLink, and then search for e-books in this database. A total of around 1.2 million licensed e-books are available. The BSB identification code is required.

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Books

Digital Collections

The digitized (historical) holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, with an emphasis of works up the 19th century. Around one million e-books from all fields of specialisation are available in the Open Access format.

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Books

Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog

Book search engine listing several million media in catalogues worldwide. Read more...

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Books

Google Books

Google Books with several million e-books from all fields of knowledge: The service includes the collections of renowned libraries from all over the world. On the basis of agreements concluded with over 20,000 publishing houses, also their e-books are accessible via Google.

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Books

Gateway Bayern

Library and union catalogues and articles databases can be queried at the same time. The data are from the "B3Kat" (joint union catalogue of Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg), the licensed Primo-Central-Index, the "Bayerische Bibliographie", the "VD 16" and "VD 17" catalogues. Search tips

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Journals

Electronic Journals Library

The most comprehensive catalogue for electronic journals with around 104,000 titles from all fields of specialisation: 69,000 specialist journals are freely accessible in full text versions, 28,000 titles are accessible with the BSB identification code. The EZB does not permit searching for articles. Read more...

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Books

Schrettinger Catalogue

The "Alphabetischer Realkatalog", alphabetical classified catalogue (1501 – 1856), the oldest large alphabetical subject catalogue of the world, with around 84,000 titles from the old stocks of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (articles as well). The catalogue takes account of the subjects of historical science, philosophy, mathematics, sciences and medicine in particular. Register

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Books

ARK-Online

Register of the alphabetical subject catalogue 1501 – 1952: The subject catalogue is subdivided into three parts, a topographic part, a historical part and an art catalogue. On the subject of Bavaria, also articles were registered from 1916 to 1952.

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Journals

SpringerLink

E-journals of the Springer publishing house: Around 1,500 electronic journals from all fields of specialisation are accessible as full-text versions (partly without the current years of publication). BSB identification code required.

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Journals

ScienceDirect

E-journals of the provider Elsevier: Around 2,800 electronic journals from all fields of specialisation are accessible as full-text versions (partly without the current years of publication). Focal points are on medicine and sciences among other fields. BSB identification code required.

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Journals

JSTOR

E-journals of the provider JSTOR, i.a. from the collections: Arts & Sciences, Business, Health Sciences, Language & Literature, Life Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, Music. The respectively most recent years of publication are not accessible via JSTOR.
BSB identification code required (or access with FID identification for Music Collection).

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Newspapers

digiPress

The newspaper portal of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek currently offers access to more than 1,200 digitized historical newspapers from the 17th century to predominantly the 1920s. The portal is constantly being expanded. digiPress help | Tutorial

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Newspapers

Süddeutsche Zeitung

The issues of the Süddeutsche daily newspaper for Germany, Bavaria and Munich, including the issues for the individual administrative districts and the SZ Magazin as of 1992, complementary SZ retro 1945 to 1993. BSB identification code required. FAQ and help

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Newspapers

Das F.A.Z.-Bibliotheksportal

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as of 1993, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung as of 1995 etc., as well as retro-digitized articles of the FAZ and its local news section (01/11/1949 – 31/12/1992). BSB identification code required. Read more...

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Newspapers

Nexis Uni

Articles from up-to-date (and past) issues of several thousand periodicals, journals and newspapers in full-text version, e.g. Der Spiegel, Die Welt, Die Zeit, The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Times, American Banker, El Pais. BSB identification code required. Read more...

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Newspapers

wiso/Presse

wiso database with full-text access to over 180 newspapers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland among other things. BSB identification code required. Read more...

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Articles

Scopus

Multidisciplinary database for current research literature from the fields of sciences, technology, medicine and life sciences, social sciences, fine arts and humanities. BSB identification code required. Read more...

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Articles

Periodicals Index Online

Multidisciplinary articles database for humanities and social sciences: The search encompasses 6,000 periodicals and publications from over 37 subject areas, from 1739 – 2000. BSB identification code required. Read more...

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Articles

IBZ Online

International bibliography of periodicals literature from the fields of humanities and social sciences: Journal articles from 11,500 journals as of the publication year 1983. BSB identification code required. Read more...

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Articles

Google Scholar

Search engine by Google for journal articles and scholarly literature. Full texts are accessible partly freely and partly with the BSB identification code.

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Manuscripts

Digital Collections – Manuscripts

Already digitized collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: medieval and modern-age manuscripts from all over the world, letters and autographs, music manuscripts.

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Manuscripts

Kalliope

National reference tool for personal papers, autographs and archives of publishing houses with individual entries from almost 450 institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany and from further registers of collections and personal estates. Read more...

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Manuscripts

Digital Collections – Modern papers/ autographs

Holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek that have already been digitized: Personal papers and autographs of famous persons.

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Manuscripts

Research Documentation Database

References for secondary literature on manuscripts (90% of entries), personal papers, autographs, rare and valuable printed books (no music materials). Read more...

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Manuscripts

Handschriftenportal

Data on over 135,000 Occidental manuscripts and manuscript fragments available primarily at German libraries.

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Manuscripts

Datenbank-Infosystem – Handschriftenkunde

Database Information System with the subject area "codicology" being preset: The databases relevant for your search can be selected from the overview. The databases can partly be accessed freely, and partly only with the BSB identification code.

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Manuscripts

BSB-CodIcon Online

Catalogue of the manuscripts of the collection group "Codices iconographici" – illuminated manuscripts of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek from the 15th to the 20th century – with the extended field of architectural manuscripts ArchIcon (under construction). Read more...

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Images

BSB-CodIcon Online

Catalogue of the manuscripts of the collection group "Codices iconographici" – illuminated manuscripts of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek from the 15th to the 20th century – with the extended field of architectural manuscripts ArchIcon (under construction). Read more...

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Manuscripts

World Digital Library

Important digitized materials from a large number of countries and cultures around the world, among them manuscripts, maps, rare works, music recordings, films, printed books, photographs and architectural drawings.

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Maps

IKAR - Printed Maps before 1850

World maps and street plans of cities all around the world, topographic and topical maps, atlases, panoramas, bird's eye view maps, facsimiles and electronic resources, etc. – 265,000 publications with around 273,000 holdings records of the participating libraries. Read more...

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Images

Bildarchiv

The Image Archive of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek has entries of over 230,000 individual images (around 166,000 together with the digitized image): Portraits from the 16th to the 20th century, views of cities and locations (particularly in Bavaria), historical photographs, etc.

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Images

Britannica ImageQuest

Three million images, graphic representations and illustrations (at high resolution and with extensive metadata) on all topics from over 50 renowned sources, among them Getty Images, National Geographic Society. Read more...

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Images

Image-based Similarity Search

An image similarity search tool for searching over 54 million machine-identified images from manuscripts, early printed works and more from the 9th to the 20th century from the holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Read more...

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Images

Datenbank-Infosystem – Bilddatenbanken

An overview of around 320 image databases in the Database Information System (DBIS), from which the topically relevant collection of images and photographs can be selected. The databases are accessible either freely or with the BSB identification code.

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Sheet music

Digital Collections – Music

Holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek that have already been digitized: Printed sheet music, music manuscripts, libretti and literature about music.

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Sheet music

Historical Scores of the Bavarian State Opera

Specialised catalogue for historical performance materials of around 955 stage performances of the Bavarian State Opera from around 1780 to the beginning of the 20th century: Scores, instrumental and vocal voices, piano reductions, text books and role books (for example director's books, prompt books).

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Sheet music

Music Online: Classical Scores Library

A collection of music prints, music manuscripts and hitherto unpublished material from the 15th to the 21th century. Various genres of music are covered, among them orchestral and chamber music, opera, songs, instrumental and choir music, as well as different types of scores. BSB or FID identification code required.

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Sheet music

Répertoire International des Sources Musicales

Over 1.1 million historical items of sheet music from collections of libraries and archives worldwide, indexed and bibliographically processed by experts: Music manuscripts from 1600 – 1800 (series A/II), music prints before 1800 (series A/I), collective prints 1500 – 1550 (series B/I).

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Sheet music

Index to Printed Music

Database with over 540,000 entries of pieces of music printed in collected works and series on classical music. Contains over 20,000 name variations and biographic data of composers, librettists and editors. BSB or FID identification code required.

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Sheet music

musiconn.scoresearch

Prototypical application for finding melodies in selected digitized music prints based on optical music recognition technology, OMR. Help

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Images

stern Photo Archive

The image portal of the stern Photo Archive with almost 1,100 catalogued photo stories, almost 17,000 contact sheets and more than 250,000 individual images (last updated February 2023). The portal is currently under construction and is continuously being expanded. Read more ...

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Images

Ohlbaum Photo Archive

Image portal with a selection of photographs (as of March 2024: 21,000 images) taken by Isolde Ohlbaum between 1975 to 2022. The images mainly show German and international artists.

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Further quick search access points to catalogues and databases for individual subjects, etc.:

User guide for search

Quick search access

  • The direct entry provides you with quick access to a selection of the most important and frequently used catalogues and databases.
  • The links guide you directly to the search interface of the search tools. Please note that you need your BSB ID or your LMUcard ID for external access (to non-freely accessible databases).
  • Central tools such as BSB DISCOVER! permit inputting the search request also directly in the corresponding search slot.
  • Upon selecting a particular search tool, a brief description of the respective contents is displayed.
  • A "more" link provides further information about the content of the catalogues and databases and/or search tips, where required.
  • If you have any questions about catalogues and databases or search strategies, our staff at the information counters, the online inquiry service or our telephone inquiry service (+49 89 28638-2322) will be pleased to be of assistance. Please note that we cannot perform the actual search on your behalf, though. Thank you for your understanding.

Comprehensive overview of databases for all areas of specialisation

The overall list of available databases can be found in the Database Information System (DBIS). In the DBIS, you can first determine the most relevant databases for your topic or your search by using the overview arranged in accordance with areas of specialisation, the alphabetical list or the search function.

Datenbank-Infosystem (DBIS)

Tips for searching articles

Via specialised databases

Literature databases are the most expedient tool for searching for articles. Via the Database Information System (DBIS), the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek offers access to a multiplicity of databases on all fields of specialisation. These databases usually permit literature search also for articles. Some databases also offer direct access to the full texts of the articles. The databases are ordered according to areas of specialisation. In most fields of specialisation, there is a menu item "Top-Datenbanken" ("top databases") above the alphabetical list of databases, which lists the most important services relevant for the field in question.
Datenbank-Infosystem (DBIS)

Via "Articles and more" in BSB DISCOVER!

The contents of numerous (not all!) databases, e-journals and e-book portals are also contained in an extensive overall index and can be queried jointly in BSB DISCOVER!. In addition to the option to search cross-platform for articles and partly also for book chapters, also the full-text versions of some contents are searchable. The hits are shown in BSB DISCOVER! if you select the search option "Everything" or "Articles and more".
(In the "Library catalogue" no articles can be found!)
BSB DISCOVER!

Tips for searching on a topic – in the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

In case contents are not yet available in English, we therefore kindly ask you to switch to the German page for the time being.
Thank you for your understanding.

Information on external access

Access options: remote access, access in the greater Munich area, access in the library

Databases, electronic journals or e-books in individual cases can be available for use exclusively in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek due to licensing restrictions. However, the majority of the collection is accessible from outside, the remote access in some cases being limited to users living in Munich or in the greater Munich area (area of the Munich "S-Bahn" commuter railway system).

  • The database information system also provides information concerning the access options in each case, which are optically marked by corresponding symbols, e.g. "A" for "auch extern" (also external access).
  • In the Electronic Journals Library indications about the access options of individual journals can be found by clicking on the icon "i" below the information about the available years of publication.

Authorised persons

Such users are authorised who hold a valid library card of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek or a LMUcard and have a place of residence in the Federal Republic of Germany. Concerning a part of the services, external access is limited to those users who live in Munich or in the greater Munich area (area of the Munich S-Bahn commuter railway system). For legal licensing reasons, only authorised individuals are granted external access (but not institutions).

Login credentials

When accessing media externally, you are first asked for your login credentials after calling up the desired medium. You can use your BSB ID or your LMUcard ID also for this service. Your login data are transmitted in an encrypted state via a secured connection.
Registration

Adobe Acrobat Reader

For retrieving electronic full texts in the PDF format Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. Individuals can download the current version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader for private use from the Adobe website free of charge.
http://get.adobe.com/de/reader/

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