Switzerland

Schweizerische Nationalbibliothek / Swiss National Library

How to find us

Main building:
Swiss National Library
Hallwylstrasse 15
3003 Bern
Switzerland

Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel
Pertuis-du-Sault 74
2000 Neuchâtel

Swiss National Sound Archives
Via Soldino 9
6900 Lugano

Phone

+41 58 462 89 35 (NL Bern) / +41 58 466 70 60 (Dürrenmatt Centre) / +41 58 465 73 44 |(Swiss National Sound Archives)

Email

info@nb.admin.ch

Director

Damian Elsig

Architect

Alfred Oeschger (1900-1963), Emil Hostettler (1887-1972) and Josef Kaufmann (1882-1962)

Year founded

1895

Established in 1895, the Swiss National Library (NL) is part of the Federal Office of Culture, which is attached to the Federal Department of the Interior. There are three sites, the main building in Bern, the Dürrenmatt Centre in Neuchatel, and since January 1st 2016, the Swiss National Sound Archives in Lugano. The NL’s mandate is to collect, catalogue and preserve Helvetica as well as make them available to the public, now and in the future. The term Helvetica covers:

1. The literary and informational production published in Switzerland;

2. All publications published abroad, ancient and modern, dealing with Switzerland and its inhabitants;

3. Documents and translation of works by Swiss authors in all languages.
This mandate includes “digitally born” publications such as, for example, e-books, e-journals, sound and websites.

CENL SURVEY – Switzerland

Library news

Annual reports