Library

Books with blue classification labels are considered reference works and include general lexica, specialist encyclopedias, bibliographies, filmographies, almanacs and directories. These books may not be loaned out.

Our collection of academic monographs (white classification label) is organized by theme and is generally available for loan. Books at the beginning of each thematic grouping (yellow classification label) serve as reference works and are thus not eligible for loan.

The books are listed in the library catalog. You can research based on person name, institution, key words or phrases, book or film titles, series and lines, publisher, signature or ISBN number.

Up to ten media may be loaned out at once. Media may loaned for 14 business days.

We currently subscribe to approx. 150 German and international film journals. Our overall collection encompasses roughly 3,800 different titles. Journals are part of our periodicals department and may be read in the library. A list of titles in our journal collection, including signature numbers, is available for review. Beyond this, a portion of our journal collection can be researched using the Zeitschriftendatenbank (ZDB).
To the ZDB

For research into journal articles, we offer in-house access to the FIAF's "International Index to Film and Television Periodicals" database. It lists sources (1972+) for film journals of international significance (FIAF Journal List), most of which are in our collection.

The most important German, and some English language, film journals from before 1945 can be viewed on microfilm. Please arrange in advance for an appointment to use the microfilm readers or the scanning device with storage function.

Electronic journals (licensed)

Archivos de la Filmoteca / Filmoteca de la Generalitat Valenciana (password protection)

L'Atlante : revista de estudios cinematograficos. 6.2008 - (password protection)

Bref - Film-Datenbank (password protection, in Germany without video access)

Epd Film. 22.2005 - (password protection)

Film Quarterly. 1.1945,1 -

Film-Dienst. 45.1992 -

FKT. 2010 – (password protection)

Journal for Religion, Film and Media. 1.2015,1 - (password protection)

Journal of British Cinema and Television. 1.2004 - 

Journal of Popular Film and Television. 24.1996/97,4(Wi.) -

Jugend-Medien-Schutz-Report (JMS). 33.2010 -

Kinder- und Jugendfilmkorrespondenz - Filmkritiken A-Z. 1980 - 2014

Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (M&K). 2000 - (password protection)

Modern times review. 1.2017 - (password protection)     

Monthly Film Bulletin. 1.1934,1(Feb.) - 58.1991,687(Apr.) (password protection)

Quarterly Review of Film and Video. 16.1997 -

Sight & Sound. 1932 -  (password protection)

SPIO Produktionsspiegel. 2000 - (password protection)

SPIO Vierteljahresbericht. 2003,2 -

The Press Archive contains clippings from daily and weekly newspapers from Germany and abroad. Our extensive press clippings collection was maintained systematically from 1968 up to 2013.

Research is possible based on a variety of criteria:

– Persons
– Film criticism (by original title)
– Television criticism (by broadcast date)
– Festival, film and television prizes
– Film and television analysis
– Country (film and television history, broadcast organizations)
– Film and television institutions
– Film and television industry (media hubs, producers)

The press documentation is available for in-library use only. For copyright reasons we cannot make or send duplicates.

The collection of catalogs from national and international film festivals encompasses roughly 1,200 festivals, with a focus on European – and in particular German-language – festivals. Among other collections, the complete publication archive for the Berlinale (International Film Festival of Berlin) is kept with us. The collection also covers programs, posters and press reviews. The online search form can be used to research based on festival name, location or other keyword. These materials are kept in the closed stacks, in some cases at other locations. Please contact us if you wish to visit the archive.

The Berlinale archive is supplemented by articles kept in our Document archive, which contains materials on individual films shown at the festival.

The library’s collection of movie theater programs encompasses roughly 52 meters of shelf space, organized by country, city and movie theater name. The focus of the movie theater program collection is German cinemas  from about 1970 up to 2019. Since 2020, the collection only includes Berlin movie theater programs plus movie theaters entering their programs for the yearly “Prize of the Association of German Cinematheques”. Only a few of the programs can be searched via the online library catalogue, so please contact us if you are interested in this collection.

Our holdings are supplemented by the collection in our Document Archive (especially movie theater programs and materials from pre-1970).

An extensive collection of international film archive’s cinema programs (from ca. 1970) is located in FIAF – International Federation of Film Archives’ Brussels office.

Our DVD collection can be reviewed in the library catalog. Searches can be made based on original title or participating person. DVDs can be loaned for 14 library business days. Three reservable stations are available in the library to view the films.  To work at a viewing station, please contact the Loans counter; the desired DVD will be handed out there. Use of the viewing stations is only possible for library members. Guests without library user ID are required to leave a deposit.

Please also see the film offerings from the Film Archive of the Deutsche Kinemathek. There you’ll find a huge number of films from 1895 to today, prepared on various storage media and ready for review at special viewing stations with advance reservation.

Library card: free of charge; entitles the user to book/DVD loans
Replacement card due to loss: 5 €

Proof of police registration of address within the Federal Republic of Germany is required for the issuance of a library card. This can be demonstrated through a photo ID showing a valid address or by a passport and police registration form. Citizens of countries outside the European Union or stateless visitors must also provide a copy of a residence permit that is valid for at least three further months, or valid proof of matriculation (‘Immatruklationsbescheinigung’) from a university in Germany. In some cases, a library card may only be issued for a limited period.

Users with a residence in Germany and valid library card can loan out up to ten books and DVDs at once. Books may be loaned for four weeks.
Materials may be extended (three times) by email or telephone so long as a hold has not been placed on the book. Overdue books will be assessed at a fee of 0.30 euros per museum business day and item. Costs of 1 euro per reminder letter will be assessed for written reminders.
Newspapers, ‘gray literature’ (publications and printed matters not intended for commercial sale) and books labeled ‘Nur Lesesaal’ may not be loaned.

A majority of our collection is in the open stacks, including newspapers and the press archive. Workstations for reading or working on a laptop are available in all areas of the library. WiFi is available throughout the entire library.

Please turn off your mobile phones.

A limited number of microfilm readers and DVD viewing stations are available and can be reserved. To use the microfilm readers or the microfilm scan device with memory function, please call to arrange an appointment at +49 30 300903-73 or +49 30 300903-652 or by email at bibliothek [at] deutsche-kinemathek.de (bibliothek[at]deutsche-kinemathek[dot]de). Storing pages to your personal USB drive is free.

A portion of the books and magazines as well as the ‘gray literature’ (publications and printed materials not intended for commercial sale) are not located in the open stacks or recorded in full in the library catalog. They are instead stored in the compact shelving system at Potsdamer Platz or in the satellite repository. Materials from the satellite repository must be ordered 8 days before usage. Please contact us and we’d be happy to help you with your research as well as arrange for materials for your use.

Our collections at the special locations:

– Books and magazines published before 1945
– Older editions of reference books and yearbooks
– TV magazines and program galleys
– Festival catalogs
– Corporate catalogs from distribution and production companies
– Trade fair catalogs
– Movie theater and film archive programs
– Gray literature from film institutions
– City events magazines

Card-operated copiers and a book scanner are available (0,05 €/DIN A4 black-and-white copy; digital scans made to a user’s own USB stick are free of charge). Users may photograph the contents as well, as long as flash is not used.
Media from pre-1945 and university papers that have not been publicly released may not be copied or photographed. Some exceptions to the copying rules may be permitted with the library’s consent.

Please check jackets and bags at the coat check on the ground floor, use the lockers at the library entrance or alternatively the lockers on the 2nd lower level (2.UG). The Loans desk offers transparent bags for storing personal items that you might require while on the library premises.

Have an improvement suggestion, praise or criticism for us? Talk to us, write us an email or use the opinion boxes located in the library.