Focus of TIB's collections

TIB has a globally unique collection of basic and highly specialised technical and scientific specialist and research information.

Donations to the TIB

You are welcome to donate scientific books to the TIB that complement our stock according to the focus of collections.

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TIB's subject areas

  • Technology
  • Architecture
  • Chemistry
  • Information Technology
  • Mathematics
  • Physics

In addition to these holdings, the library also has a number of unique collections characterised by their special content or regional orientation. These include PhD theses, patents and standards, and difficult-to-obtain grey literature from the fields of science and technology, as well as conference and research reports. One of TIB's specialties is the provision of difficult-to-obtain new publications from Eastern Europe and East Asia that are linguistically hard to access.

Focus of collections

What is grey literature?

Grey literature is the term for difficult-to-obtain literature that is not commercially available. It is a crucial source of information for science and research. The latest findings and topics explored in scientific research are often presented at conferences, sometimes long before they are published in scientific articles. New thematic areas and directions are discussed and reflected upon. For this reason, conference reports, for example, are often strategically ground-breaking, and a recognised, valuable source of information in many specialist disciplines.

In addition to its collection of conference reports, TIB also stocks research reports: TIB is the depository library for research reports from its subject areas. These publications contain the results, curent status or progress of research projects, and are not available through booksellers.

TIB supports the demands stated in the Pisa Declaration: governments and organisations should promote grey literature. They should show greater commitment to Open Access, give greater recognition to high-quality grey literature, and offer greater support for the collection development and digital preservation of grey literature. TIB has translated the Pisa Declaration, now available in 15 languages, into German.

Further information

  • Information about grey literature can be found in the Open Grey Repository in the "International Conference on Grey Literature" collection. The printed versions can be found in the collections under "RR 3782".
  • German version of the Pisa Declaration (PDF)
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