Work and study visits to the reading rooms

In case you wish to use the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek – exclusively in the reading rooms – within the framework of a work or study visit, please take into account that in most cases books and journals cannot be consulted straight away. The desired media must be ordered a few days in advance in BSB DISCOVER!.

In case you do not have a library card yet, please inform us of your visit in writing one week before your arrival date at the latest. Please note the conditions for registration in writing: Minimum age 18 years and registered place of residence outside Munich and outside the Munich metropolitan area (range of the "S-Bahn" commuter railway network)

Please note: The ordered media may be used exclusively in the reading rooms.

Registration and user identification

A registration form is available in the form of

• an online form for work and study visits to the reading rooms or in the form of a
• PDF file  (20 KB).
  The PDF file can be printed out, filled in and sent back by post or fax to:
  Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
  Lesesaalleihe
  80328 Munich
  Fax  +49 89 28638-2241

We will inform you about the BSB ID required for ordering items as soon as we receive your personal data.

Ordering the desired media in advance

To enable us to provide you with the desired works in time, please search and order them yourself in BSB DISCOVER! to the extent possible.

BSB DISCOVER!

The ordered works will be made available for use in the General Reading Room. Collection items of the publication years 1501 – 1840 can be ordered for use in the special reading rooms only.

The ordered media will be available for you after approximately two to four working days.

Desired items not found

In case you need items which cannot be found in BSB DISCOVER!, you can also send us your literature list (maximally 15 titles) together with the form.
Experience shows that such orders are usually no routine cases. We therefore kindly ask you to give us sufficient time (usually a week) to search the desired titles and order them from the stacks. In case you require more than 15 titles, please contact us in advance.

Inquiry by phone whether items are available for collection

We cannot always guarantee that the desired titles can be made available in due time. Accordingly, we kindly ask you to contact the reading-room lending counter (phone: +49 89 28638-2416) two working days prior to your arrival, inquiring whether your ordered items are ready for collection.

Booking a working place in a reading room

Prior reservation of a working place is required for every visit to the reading rooms.
Further information and booking a working place in a reading room

Upon arrival at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Arriving at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, please go directly to the service desk 1 on the 1st floor (reading-room lending) in front of the General Reading Room. Please show our staff an official identification (personal identification card or passport; your driver's licence is not sufficient), and you will be handed the library card prepared for you.

Any prepared library cards which are not collected are revoked and re-used after one month at the latest.

Opening hours

Please note our opening hours, taking in to account in particular that the opening hours of the special reading rooms vary from those of the General Reading Room.

Opening hours of the reading rooms