Key figures

The Library Am Guisanplatz BiG

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Alexandria Library Network	18 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.

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

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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
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.

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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.

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

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

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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).

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

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

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List of new acquisitions	List of new acquired books and articles at the BiG
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.

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.

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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.

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Opening hours	Access to main building, customer parking and lending from the BiG: Monday to Friday 8:30-11:00 a.m. / 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.

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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.

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

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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
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.
Taster days	The BiG provides insight into the activities of an information and documentation specialist and thus enable persons to get to know this profession.

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Themes	Description

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

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Key figures


Finances (figures in CHF)	2017	2016	2015
Personnel costs (CHF)	3,35 m	3,47 m	3,52 m
Specialist literature resources (CHF)	1,63 m	1,63 m	1,59 m


Personnel	2017	2016	2015
Employees excl. trainees and interns	32	32	34
Job percentages	2'430	2'505	2'505
Trainees	5	6	5
Academic interns	1	1	1


Services	2017	2016	2015
Loans in Alma	10'250	11'484	10'273
Inter-library loans	775	938	850
Service editions*	2'495	2'855	3'594
Documentations	616	724	805
Managed periodical subscriptions**	3'178	3'036	2'973
Guided tours	13	15	19
Events	7	22	7


Physical resources	2017	2016	2015
Monographs	647'990	625'636	613'378
Periodicals	7'728	7'628	7'341
Total physical resources	655'718	633'264	620'719


Electronic resources Alexandria library network (BiG incl.)	2017	2016	2015
E-journals / e-books	24'433	not recorded	not recorded
Digitized photographs	9'829	not recorded	not recorded


Physical resources Alexandria library network	2017	2016	2015
Monographs	899'814	891'173	874'698
Periodicals	17'794	17'780	17'172
Total physical resources	917'608	908'953	891'870


Alexandria library network	2017	2016	2015
Partner libraries	18	19	20
Search queries in catalog	98'429	116'180	90'516

*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