Acquisition
The mission of the Swiss National Library (NL) is to collect Helvetica: printed and digital publications related to Switzerland. Additions to the collections are made through an agreement with Swiss publishers, acquisitions the Library makes itself, and donations it receives.
In its ongoing efforts to enrich its collections, the NL collects information media related to Switzerland, its population and its citizens throughout history.
They include the following:
- printed matter
- prints, drawings and photographs
- video recordings
- digital documents (theses, commercial publications, official documents of the Confederation)
- manuscripts
Audio documents are acquired by the Swiss National Sound Archives on behalf of the NL.
Collection development
Developing and enriching its collections is one of the key tasks of the Swiss National Library. This takes place in a number of ways:
Agreement with publishers
In the absence of a legal deposit requirement at national level, the main source of new acquisitions for the NL is a deposit agreement with the three associations of Swiss publishers: SBVV (Schweizer Buchhändler- und Verleger-Verband), LIVRESUISSE (L’Association Romande des Diffuseurs, Éditeurs et Libraires) and ALESI (Associazione Librai ed Editori della Svizzera Italiana).
Acquisition of Swiss publications
The Acquisitions department researches and purchases books, corporate and official publications, maps, music scores and old printed publications, in accordance with the mandate to collect Helvetica that is set out on the National Library Act.
Acquisition of foreign publications
Foreign publications dealing with Switzerland or its people are acquired on the book market.
Donations
Donations come in many forms, and can be anything from single, author-published works to corporate and official publications. One of the most noteworthy donations is the Gutenberg Collection.
Digital publications
The NL's mandate also includes the collection of born-digital publications: Digital books, journals, dissertations, standards, Wikipedia articles and websites are collected. The NL has constant contacts with the Swiss book market and information production.
Swiss National Library
Hallwylstrasse 15
3003 Bern