Key figures

The Library Am Guisanplatz BiG

Themes	Description
Alexandria Library Network	15 libraries and documentation services within and without the Federal Administration have merged to form the Alexandria Library Network.
Albert von Escher collection	In the Albert von Escher-Sammlung you will find watercolours of cantonal and federal military uniforms from the 17th to the 19th century.
Agenda	Many events are held every year at the Library Am Guisanplatz. You will find more information about them here.

Themes	Description
Basic vocational training	More information on basic vocational training at the BiG as information and documentation specialist, federal VET diploma.

Themes	Description
Contact	Contact Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Contact	Contact Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Contact	Contact Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Contact	Contact Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Contact	Contact Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Contact	Contact Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Conference room reservations	Various rooms at the BiG can be used free of charge; both by members of the federal administration and the public.

Themes	Description
Dr. Georg Heberlein’s collection of autographs	Dr. Georg Heberlein’s collection of autographs brings you face to face with five centuries of world history and its chief characters.
Digitised special collections	With its digitised special collections the Library Am Guisanplatz grants its customers on-line access to some of its special assets.

Themes	Description
eBooks on Demand (EOD)	The e-books on demand service enables you to order complete electronic copies of copyright free books from the BiG’s inventory.
External lending for libraries and documentation centres	You will find more information on lending from other libraries and documentation centres on this page.
External lending	If our library does not have a publication you seek, it will, at your request, be searched for in libraries in Switzerland and abroad, ordered and lent to you.
External internships at the BiG	Information and documentation specialist apprentices from other institutions may do an internship at the BiG to expand or consolidate their vocational expertise.

Themes	Description
Federal Documentation Conference FDC	The BiG directs the FDC which is the coordinating body of the federal administration for information and documentation.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Head of the BiG	Since 1 October 2016, Mr Daniel Kohler is in charge of the BiG.

Themes	Description
Imprint	The Library Am Guisanplatz (BiG) publishes its services and provides information on its activities at www.big.admin.ch. They are legally based on articles 5-6 of the Ordnance of the Library Am Guisanplatz (BiGV)l and articles 10-11 of the Government and Administration Organisation Act (GAOA).

Themes	Description
Job vacancies	The job vacancies at the BiG are always published on-line on the federal job website.

Themes	Description
Korea collection	The BiG’s Korea collection provides insight into the work and daily routine of the Swiss NNSC-delegation.

Themes	Description
Lending	The BiG ist open to the public. The content of its inventory can be either lent out or consulted at the library.
Location	The BiG is easily accessible, situated diagonally opposite the Guisanplatz tram stop.
List of new acquisitions	List of new acquired books and articles at the BiG

Themes	Description
MAS study course in library and information science	Practical training at the BiG is conducted in parallel to the MAS study course in library and information science.
Middle and Near East collection	With its Middle and Near East collection, the BiG seeks to do justice to the incredible variety of the Orient.
Maps and Atlases	The BiG possesses special maps relating to many topics in military history. In the Alexandria catalogue you will find war maps, operation maps and tactical maps.
Military post card collection	The military postcard collection of the BiG offers insights into the contemporary perception of military, national defence and war.

Themes	Description
Non-digitised special collections	With its non-digitised special collections the BiG offers further insight into its unusual inventory.
News	Current news from the BiG.

Themes	Description
Opening hours	Access to main building, customer parking and lending: Monday to Friday 08.30 to 11.00 / 14.00 to 16.30 hours

Themes	Description
Proposing an aquisition	We would be glad to hear what documents you cannot find in our library and propose for acquisition.
Portrait	The Library Am Guisanplatz BiG is the main library of the federal administration and the Swiss Armed Forces.
Publication series of the BiG	With its publication series the BiG promotes historical and cultural research.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Research request	A team of BiG employees with a scientific background will be glad to help you in your research.

Themes	Description
Sectors BiG	In the following page you will find the most important BiG sectors at a glance.
Synopsis of inventory and collections	The BiG offers titles and collections on various topics, both in print and in digital form.

Themes	Description
Terms and conditions	Terms and conditions Library Am Guisanplatz BiG
Taster days - 2021	The BiG provides insight into the activities of an information and documentation specialist and thus enable persons to get to know this profession.
Training at the BiG	The BiG is engaged in training in the field of «information und documentation», which addresses the past, the present and the future, and offers a variety of training options.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Workplaces for clients	At der BiG you may use quiet and well illluminated workplaces free of charge.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

News
- Close
  
  News
  
  Current news from the BiG.
  
  Agenda
  
  Many events are held every year at the Library Am Guisanplatz. You will find more information about them here.
  
  List of new acquisitions
  
  List of new acquired books and articles at the BiG
Inventory and collections
- Close
  
  Synopsis of inventory and collections
  
  The BiG offers titles and collections on various topics, both in print and in digital form.
  
  Digitised special collections
  
  With its digitised special collections the Library Am Guisanplatz grants its customers on-line access to some of its special assets.
  
  Non-digitised special collections
  
  With its non-digitised special collections the BiG offers further insight into its unusual inventory.
Publications
- Close
  
  Publication series of the Library Am Guisanplatz
  
  With its publication series the BiG promotes historical and cultural research.
Information for visitors
- Close
  
  Opening hours
  
  Access to main building, customer parking and lending: Monday to Friday 08.30 to 11.00 / 14.00 to 16.30 hours
  
  Workplaces for clients
  
  At der BiG you may use quiet and well illluminated workplaces free of charge.
  
  Location
  
  The BiG is easily accessible, situated diagonally opposite the Guisanplatz tram stop.
  
  Lending
  
  The BiG ist open to the public. The content of its inventory can be either lent out or consulted at the library.
Services
- Close
  
  Synopsis of services
  
  The BiG offers numerous services to ensure that you receive the information and media you seek in the best possible quality and within reasonable time.
  
  Proposing an aquisition
  
  We would be glad to hear what documents you cannot find in our library and propose for acquisition.
  
  eBooks on Demand (EOD)
  
  The e-books on demand service enables you to order complete electronic copies of copyright free books from the BiG’s inventory.
  
  Research request
  
  A team of BiG employees with a scientific background will be glad to help you in your research.
  
  Inter-library loan (external lending)
  
  If our library does not have a publication you seek, it will, at your request, be searched for in libraries in Switzerland and abroad, ordered and lent to you.
  
  Conference room reservations
  
  Various rooms at the BiG can be used free of charge; both by members of the federal administration and the public.
  
  Dossiers
  
  On this page, you can find documentations on a variety of topics presented to you by the Library am Guisanplatz.
  
  Inter-library exchange (external lending) for libraries and documentation centres
  
  You will find more information on lending from other libraries and documentation centres on this page.
  
  Additional links
  
  Here you will find additional information on libraries, archives and collections.
About us current page
- Close
  
  Portrait
  
  The Library Am Guisanplatz BiG is the main library of the federal administration and the Swiss Armed Forces.
  
  Head of the BiG
  
  Since 1 October 2016, Mr Daniel Kohler is in charge of the BiG.
  
  Federal Documentation Conference FDC
  
  The BiG directs the FDC which is the coordinating body of the federal administration for information and documentation.
  
  Key figures
  
  Key figures and annual reports of the Library Am Guisanplatz
  
  Sectors BiG
  
  In the following page you will find the most important BiG sectors at a glance.
  
  Job vacancies
  
  The job vacancies at the BiG are always published on-line on the federal job website.
  
  Partnerships
  
  Partnerships and activities in external committees and working groups of the Library Am Guisanplatz
  
  Alexandria Library Network
  
  15 libraries and documentation services within and without the Federal Administration have merged to form the Alexandria Library Network.
  
  Training at the BiG
  
  The BiG is engaged in training in the field of «information und documentation», which addresses the past, the present and the future, and offers a variety of training options.

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Key figures

as at 31 december


Finances (figures in CHF)	2020	2019	2018
Effective personnel costs	3 Mio.	3,01 Mio.	3,34 Mio.
Budget Specialist literature resources	1, 70 Mio.	1, 70 Mio.	1,64 Mio.


Personnel	2020	2019	2018
Employees excl. trainees and interns	28	29	27
Job percentages	2'090	2'200	2'090
Trainees	3	3	4
Academic interns	1	1	1


Services	2020	2019	2018
Loans in Alma	7'165	9'778	11'347
Inter-library loans	461	549	711
Service editions*	2'585	6'204	3'767
Documentations	362	388	454
Managed periodical subscriptions**	2'999	2'821	2'776
Guided tours / Training courses	9	37	15
Events	3	15	7


Physical resources	2020	2019	2018
Monographs	653'108	653'970	649'181
Periodicals	7'821	7'790	7'770
Total physical resources	660'929	661'760	656'951


Electronic resources Alexandria library network (BiG incl.)	2020	2019	2018
E-journals / e-books	51'179	53'437	47'637
Digitized photographs	12'708	9'921	9'883


Physical resources Alexandria library network	2020	2019	2018
Monographs	921'542	920'060	904'406
Periodicals	18'120	18'064	18'012
Total physical resources	939'662	938'124	922'418


Alexandria library network	2020	2019	2018
Partner libraries	16	19	18
Search queries in catalog	86'187	98'201	134'489

*Service editions: specialist literature purchased by the BiG for the federal administration departments which special agreement (excluding periodicals) and delivered to the employees.

**Managed periodical subscriptions: For the BiG, the Federal Administration and the Swiss Armed Forces which special agreement