Service Tasks of the library of the Federal Statistical Office

Terms of use

1 Tasks

1.1. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) operates a specialised statistical library for the activities of Destatis and of the following institutions participating in a system of joint administration:

  • Office of the Council of Economic Experts
  • Federal Institute for Population Research
  • Office of the Federal Returning Officer
  • Federal Institute of Sport Science

1.2. The library purchases, registers, manages and documents the required literature (print products, electronic products, microforms, etc.).

1.3. It shows its stock by the electronic library catalogue (OPAC) through the intranet for the Destatis staff and through the internet for the general public.

1.4. As a specialised scientific library, it offers its services also to the general public. This includes, among other things, answering written enquiries, providing free access to the reading room and its facilities, doing literature research, and participating in the national and international lending network.

1.5. The library maintains professional contacts with library institutions in Germany and abroad and with many scientific institutions and specialised associations.

2. Locations

The library locations are

  • the main library at the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden
  • the branch office library at the Bonn Branch Office of the Federal Statistical Office operated jointly with the library of the Federal Ministry of the Interior on the basis of an administrative agreement.

The main library in Wiesbaden is also responsible for the Destatis staff at the Berlin location.

3. Using the library

3.1. All staff members of the Federal Statistical Office and of the institutions participating in the system of joint administration may use the library.

3.2. Also, staff of other authorities and individuals can make use of the library services; the extent of the services can be restricted by the library, depending on the efforts required. For enquiries made by individuals, the marketing concept of the statistical offices of the Federation and the Länder in its version valid at the time will apply, especially the provisions on charges. The main library in Wiesbaden is accessible to the general public during the opening hours of the reading room. Access to the stock of the Bonn branch office library for individuals will be co-ordinated with the library of the Federal Ministry of the Interior in individual cases.

4. Service hours

The opening hours of the reading room, issue desk, and public internet PCs in Wiesbaden are posted in the library and published in the intranet and internet. The availability of the service telephone number +49 611 /75 4573) is subject to the general regulations in the Federal Statistical Office.

The service hours of the Bonn branch office library depend on the service hours of the library of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

5. Media purchase

5.1. Media orders can be addressed by all staff members direct to the main library in Wiesbaden. Media are purchased only by the library, which checks cost-effectiveness and uses the most efficient way of acquisition.

5.2. For acquisitions in exchange for publications of the Federal Statistical Office, the library maintains extensive national and international exchange relations. It is responsible for concluding exchange agreements and is involved in decisions on whether or not to include institutions in the free distribution list.

6. Leaving publications to the library

6.1. The library will get six author’s copies of all publications issued or initiated by the Federal Statistical Office as printed versions or on data media. It will get two copies of working documents released only for internal purposes. The units disseminating online publications will adequately inform the library about new editions and about where to find them.

6.2. It will also get author’s copies of publications of the institutions mentioned under 1.1.

6.3. The library will check and include in its stock any publications received as free copies by staff members of the Federal Statistical Ofice within the scope of their official duties from third parties and will thus make them available to a large group of users.

6.4. The library requests one author’s copy of any publication of third parties of which staff members of the Federal Statistical Office are co-authors or co-editors within the scope of their official duties. It asks for having this taken into account when concluding relevant agreements with the editors.

7. Registration and documentation

7.1. The library registers its stock of media in the electronic library catalogue (OPAC) by subject-matter and formal aspects.

7.2. Older publications (until year of publication 1981) are shown in the conventional file catalogues of the library.

8. Reading room

In the reading room, basic reference books and textbooks, especially regarding statistics and economics, are arranged for free access. Those items can be borrowed only by staff members and only for short periods. Also available in the reading room are current issues of the specialised periodicals and daily newspapers we have subscribed to. In the reading room, the library provides workstations for internal and extrenal users, in part with PC infrastructure, and a reader printer for microfiche publications. A coin-operated photocopier (photocopies for official purposes are free) is also available.

Coats, jackets, umbrellas, bags and the like must be put into the lockers provided before entering the reading room. Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted in the reading room. Animals are not admitted.

Due to the special requirements of scientific work, please avoid talking loudly or making other noise. This is why using mobile phones in the library is prohibited.

9. Borrowing

9.1. All staff members of the Federal Statistical Office and of the institutions participating in the system of joint administration may borrow media from the library stock. Different lending periods, in part with extensions possible, are fixed for the various media forms. If urgently needed otherwise, the library can demand early return of a borrowed item. Open-ended borrowing is definitely not possible.

9.2. Staff members of the Bonn branch office of the Federal Statistical Office can order books for borrowing from the main library in Wiesbaden direct through the online catalogue. Borrowing and return are recorded by the library of the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Bonn. In turn, borrowing of items from the branch office stock by staff members of the Wiesbaden location are recorded by the library in Wiesbaden.

9.3. For any person borrowing items for the first time, the following data will be stored for lending administration purposes:

  • Name, first name
  • Internal identification card number
  • Official e-mail address and telephone number
  • Room number
  • Organisational unit

Any changes in those data must immediately be communicated to the library. The data will remain stored as long as is necessary for managing lending, demanding return of borrowed media, and enforcing damage claims. When borrowing items for the first time, the borrower must confirm by his/her signature that he/she has been informed about, and agrees to his/her above-mentioned personal data being stored and that he/she accepts these terms of use.

9.4. Individuals who provide evidence of their place of residence being in, or close to Wiesbaden can borrow media to a limited extent from the main library in Wiesbaden. There is no entitlement to such borrowing. The library will decide in any individual case about the eligibility for borrowing.

For any person borrowing items for the first time, the following data will be stored for lending administration purposes:

  • Name, first name
  • Address
  • Date of birth
  • Telephone number and e-mail address (if available)

Additionally, a photocopy of the identity card will be made.

Subsection 9.3 sentences 3 to 5 apply accordingly.

Different lending periods, in part with extensions possible, are fixed for various media forms.

Subsection 9.1 sentence 3 applies accordingly.

Any other individuals may borrow items through the German or international lending network through their responsible university or Land library.

9.5. Regarding lending to staff members, the borrower must ensure that borrowed media are accessible even in case of the borrower’s absence, if required. When the borrower leaves the Office, all borrowed media must be returned or rebooked to another person. The same applies when the borrower changes to another unit within the Federal Statistical Office and the borrowed media are no longer needed for the new job.

9.6. In case of the lending period being exceeded, the library will remind the borrower to return the media and, after three unsuccessful reminders, will take legal steps. For private individuals, the third reminder will involve a fee of EUR 10.00 to cover the administrative and postage expenses. It the item is lost or heavily damaged, damage claims will be made against the borrower. Any repair required will be commissioned by the library.

9.7. External users may use data media only on the data processing equipment of the library within the library rooms.

9.8. For loose-leaf editions, the borrower must properly insert into the borrowed basic edition the leaves supplied by the library.

10. Circulation of periodicals

10.1. For the law journals and specialised periodicals, the library maintains computer-assisted circulation lists, in which generally all Destatis staff members can participate.

10.2. The periodicals received through the circulation procedure should quickly be passed on to enable other readers to get up-to-date information.

10.3. In case of very long circulation lists, the library can, for cost-efficiency reasons, request readers to give evidence of their using the periodical for official purposes in order to limit the subscription costs.

11. Interlibrary loans

11.1. The library of the Federal Statistical Office participates directly in the German and international lending network of the scientific libraries.

11.2. Media that are needed for official purposes and are not available in its own stock will be acquired by the library for staff members of the Federal Statistical Office and of the institutions mentioned under 1.1 on the basis of the lending network terms in the Federal Republic of Germany from other libraries or through document supply services. The borrower should return the media to the library before expiration of the lending period indicated or ask in time for an extension. The borrowed media must be treated carefully and be returned undamaged. Serious offences against this provision can entail temporary or permanent exclusion from the interlibrary loan system, while any obligations that have resulted from interlibrary loan will remain valid even after exclusion.

11.3. Also, the library makes its own stock available for lending to other libraries.

12. Chargeable collection of information

Within the scope of the requirements of official duties, the library provides access to chargeable databases and document supply services.

13. Revision of stock

Where required, the library will check on a sample basis its storeroom stocks and the media lent to staff of the Federal Statistical Office or of the institutions participating in the joint administration system for completeness and condition.

14. Area of application

These terms apply to the main library in Wiesbaden and analogously to the Bonn branch office library which, based on an administrative agreement, is operated jointly with the library of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Staff members of the Berlin Information Point who borrow media are treated as borrowers of the main library in Wiesbaden. The terms of use are binding for all users.