All catalogues and databases
NL’s catalogues and databases
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HelveticAll
HelveticAll provides access to the resources of the Swiss National Library’s principal catalogues, i.e. Helveticat, the Catalogue of the Association Swiss Poster Collections (SPC), the Bibliography on Swiss History, the Swiss National Sound Archives, HelveticArchives and E-Periodica.
The links allow you to directly access content online, order documents and display resources from the selected catalogues.
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Helveticat
Online catalogue (OPAC) of the Swiss National Library (NL). Includes all monographs as well as periodicals and newspapers that are still published. The process of cataloguing old newspapers and periodicals is currently still in progress.
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Subject catalogue prior to 1998 (in German)
Until 1998 the documents were indexed using the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) system.
This subject catalogue contains:
- the digitised card index until 1991. This catalogue is currently not accessible. The catalogue data will be processed and integrated into the NL's online catalogue Helveticat, probably in 2025.
- the electronic catalogue from 1991 to 1998, integrated into the NL's online catalogue Helveticat.
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HelveticArchives
Database of the NL’s archival holdings. Contains information on the holdings of the Prints and Drawings Department and the Swiss Literary Archives, among others.
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Swiss ISIL directory
The Swiss National Library (NL) maintains the national ISIL centre for memory institutions from Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. It assigns the ISIL number and maintains the address list of registered institutions in the ISIL directory.
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e-Helvetica Access
e-Helvetica Access gives you access to the digital collections of the Swiss National Library (NL). In addition to websites of historical importance, you will find books, periodicals, theses and official publications that have been published in electronic form. You will also find printed publications that have been scanned. Please note that access to certain publications is restricted for copyright reasons.
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Catalogue of the Association Swiss Poster Collections (SPC)
Posters created by Swiss and foreign artists. The posters described in this catalogue come from a number of Swiss institutions, including the NL.
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Swiss National Sound Archives. Catalog
Catalogue of all the audio documents conserved in the Swiss National Sound Archives. Digitised audio documents can be listened to in the NL.
Periodicals catalogue (card index in the information room)
The “P-Katalog” lists all periodicals that ceased publication prior to 1993 or were newly acquired up to May 2005.
Catalogue of corporate and association publications (“V-Katalog”)
This card index lists articles of association, regulations, minutes, reports, catalogues, prospectuses, commemorative brochures and other publications from corporations or associations, specialised associations, companies, industries, schools, and Swiss, cantonal or local cultural institutions.
Swiss bibliographies
Swiss Newspapers and periodicals
Periodicals catalogue (card index in the NL)
The “P-Katalog” lists all periodicals that were newly acquired up to May 2005: newspapers, magazines, series, annual publications (except carnival programs and corporate publications). June 2005 new periodical titles are only catalogued in Helveticat.
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e-newspaperarchives.ch. Fulltext
e-newspaperarchives.ch gives access to Swiss newspapers digitized by the Swiss National Library and its cantonal partners.
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E-Periodica – retro digitized journals. Fulltext
E-Periodica is the platform of the library of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, in cooperation with the Swiss National Library (NL) for digitised Swiss journals. The earliest journals date from the early 18th century. The range is constantly being expanded. All the journals are available free of charge. The following searches are possible: search in the full text of the journals; advanced search by title and author: browsing by title, author or collection.
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Bibliographie der Schweizer Presse (Blaser)
The “Bibliographie der Schweizer Presse mit Einschluss des Fürstentums Liechtenstein = Swiss press bibliography” was edited by Fritz Blaser between 1956 and 1958. It catalogues and locates all daily newspapers and periodicals prior to 1803 and all political newspapers (including official publications), press correspondence in newspapers, and periodicals of a political or social nature after 1803.
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Bibliographie der Gesellschaftschriften, Zeitungen und Kalender in der Schweiz (Brandstetter)
The “Bibliography of Swiss periodicals, gazettes and almanacs” produced by Josef Leopold Brandstetter catalogues and, in certain cases, locates all newspapers, periodicals, gazettes, official registers, almanacs, etc. published in Switzerland up to 1894.
Lists of Swiss newspapers and magazines
Metacatalogues, catalogues and platforms in Switzerland
General
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swisscovery
swisscovery is the research portal of the SLSP network (Swiss Library Service Platform), which brings together scientific information from more than 500 Swiss libraries and facilitates access and research.
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Recherche Patrimoniale
Joint research platform of the swisscovery libraries and the Swiss National Library (NL).
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Recherche Portal Alexandria
Alexandria is the research portal of the libraries and documentation centers of the Federal Administration and the Swiss Armed Forces.
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Renouvaud
The catalogue of the Renouvaud library network is coordinated by the Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne (BCUL). It includes the collections of universities, cultural organisations, medical facilities, judicial authorities, museums and archives in the canton of Vaud.
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RERO+ union catalogue
The union catalogue RERO+ contains collections of libraries in Bulle and the Neuchâtel and Jura library network (RBNJ), as well as the RERO+ Valais union catalogue.
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Catalogo cantonale del Sistema bibliotecario ticinese SBT (in Italian)
The online catalogue of the Ticino Library Network SBT coordinates 74 libraries of various types, including public libraries, specialist libraries, conservation libraries, archives, and school libraries.
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Sàmara
The sàmara portal is the unique access point to all the information and resources provided by archives, libraries and museums operating in the Canton of Ticino.
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Union Catalog BGR
In the BGR union catalogue the inventory of the Cantonal Library of Graubünden as well as other scientifically oriented libraries is listed. More than 20 libraries of Graubünden take part in the network - together they hold more than 620'000 titles.
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bisch online - online catalogue of the libraries of Schaffhausen
bisch online is the online catalogue of the libraries of Schaffhausen, the municipal library of Neuhausen and the library of the state archives of the Canton of Schaffhausen.
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St. Gallen library network SGBN
The St. Gallen library network includes 27 libraries in eastern Switzerland, including the cantonal library Vadiana. The catalogue of the cantonal library Appenzell Ausserrhoden is integrated into the joint catalogue of the St. Gallen library network SGBN.
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Catalogue of the Thurgau Cantonal Library and cantonal offices (in German)
The biblio.tg network includes vocational and secondary school libraries, the cantonal library of Thurgau as well as office and court libraries of the canton of Thurgau.
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Liechtenstein Library Network's online catalogue
The online catalogue of the Liechtenstein library network lists media from collections of the National Library of Liechtenstein and 14 other libraries in Liechtenstein.
Rare books collections: catalogues and virtual libraries
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swisscollections
The swisscollections association, under the leadership of the University Library of Basel and in collaboration with the Zurich Central Library and other institutions, has created a new catalogue for their special collections. Manuscripts, old prints, music, archive holdings, maps and images can easily be searched and ordered on swisscollections. swisscollections is the successor of the HAN union catalogue.
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e-codices - Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland
The goal of e-codices is to provide free access to all medieval and a selection of modern manuscripts of Switzerland by means of a virtual library.
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e-manuscripta
e-manuscripta.ch is the portal for digitised manuscript material from Swiss libraries and archives. The spectrum ranges from text manuscripts (single and collective), through to correspondence by individuals and institutions, but also comprises music documents, manuscript maps, drawings and photographs.
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e-rara - Platform for digitized rare books from Swiss libraries
e-rara is the portal for digitised printed works from Swiss libraries. These works range from books and maps to illustrated materials – from the earliest days of book printing to the 20th century.
Special collections: catalogues and virtual libraries
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Catalogue of Werner Oechslin's library (in German)
The Werner Oechslin Library in Einsiedeln contains writings on architecture, art and philosophy, as well as a collection of unique and rare items and old books.
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Library Werner Oechslin Digital (in German)
The Werner Oechslin Digital Library is a collection of high-resolution digital images of rare items from the Werner Oechslin Library.
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Bibliotheca Bodmeriana
The collections of the Biblioteca Bodmeriana hold over 150 000 objects. The core collection of the library comprises around 200 Western manuscripts, approximately 100 Eastern manuscripts and 2000 autograph documents and 270 incunabula (10% of which are Rara and Unica), without forgetting the papyri collection. Rare printed works also figure among the Bodmer’s treasures, with several thousand original editions dating from the 16th to the 20th century. The catalogue will be available online soon.
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Bodmerlab (in French)
The Bodmer Lab is a research and digitisation centre. Established in partnership with the University of Geneva and the Martin Bodmer Foundation, it has made a large number of rare and fragile documents accessible to the public.
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Parliamentary Library
The Parliamentary Library provides the Federal Assembly and its bodies with reliable information to support their political work. Its catalogue provides access to a wide range of documentary resources. Public PDFs are available under the ‘Download PDF’ button below the catalogue information.
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IRONCAT - The catalog of the Iron Library- Eisenbibliothek
The Iron Library offers 750 years of literature on technology and science.
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Online-Bibliothek der SBS
Die Schweizerische Bibliothek für Blinde, Seh- und Lesebehinderte SBS ist eine deutschsprachige Spezialbibliothek mit eigener Produktion. In der Online-Bibliothek der SBS sind Hörbücher, Bücher in Braille und Grossdruck, E-Books, Hörfilme, Spiele, Braille-Musiknoten und Print- sowie Braille-Bücher verzeichnet. Der Katalog enthält auch eine kleine Auswahl französischer, italienischer, rätoromanischer und spanischer Literatur.
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Bibliothèque Sonore Romande (in French)
The "Bibliothèque Sonore Romande BSR" in Lausanne provides people with visual, learning or motor impairments tens of thousands of books free of charge that were recorded by volunteer readers.
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Biblioteca Braille e del libro parlato
The “Biblioteca Braille e del libro parlato” in Tenero offers audiobooks, Braille books and e-books in italian.
Audiovisual documents
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Memobase
Information portal developed by the association Memoriav to enable multilingual searches and access to audiovisual documents (photographs, films, audio and video documents) conserved in Swiss institutions. Memobase+ provides online access to radio programmes that are subject to copyright.
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Images et Voix de la Culture Suisse IMVOCS. Audio-, film- and video recordings
A site containing audio, film and video documents from the holdings of the SLA, the Max Frisch Archives and the Swiss radio and TV broadcasters SFR, RTS and RSI.
List of Swiss platforms and databases for images, sounds, films and videos
Archives
Maps
Metacatalogues abroad
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Karlsruhe Virtual Catalog KVK
Enables simultaneous searches in the catalogues of libraries from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other countries, and in book trade catalogues.
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WorldCat
The world’s largest network of resources and services for libraries. It refers to copies held in libraries all over the world. This catalogue was created by OCLC (Online Computer Library Center).
