Information on the construction works
Due to extensive construction works until summer 2012, the library reading room has been moved into the foyer of the Otto Braun Hall. This provisional reading room provides library users with all the necessary services. The event rooms – the Simón-Bolívar-Saal and the Otto-Braun-Saal – are also affected by construction work and will remain closed for the time being. Events are being held in premises near the institute. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
You will find more information on using the library and on the alternative event venues here:
How do I get to the provisional reading room?
The provisional reading room is located in the foyer of the Otto-Braun-Saal. It can be accessed through the main entrance to the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library) on Potsdamer Strasse. You will find a detailed floor plan in PDF format at the bottom of this page.
What services will be available in the provisional reading room?
Library users will have access to all the usual services in the provisional reading room. All work stations will be moved to the provisional reading room. Laptop users will have access to wireless Internet and electricity points. Photocopiers and microfilm scanners will also be available. Library users will not have access to the lockers in the foyer of the IAI during this period. Please deposit your belongings in the lockers or the cloakroom of the Staatsbibliothek.
Which library resources are available during construction works?
Library users will have full access to the reading room's and stack collection of books, newspapers and journals. We regret that there will be restrictions to the use of papers and manuscripts and special collections. Only limited access to papers and manuscripts will be possible during this period. This also applies to borrowing DVDs and videos from the library's film collection. Resources from the audio library, the map and poster collection and the image and newspaper clippings archive will not be available during the 12-month period of construction work. For urgent matters, please contact Dr. Gregor Wolff, Head of the Special Collections and Papers and Manuscripts: wolff@iai.spk-berlin.de.
What changes to services can I expect as a user?
Due to the distance of the provisional reading room from our holdings, delivery for ordered materials will take approx. one hour.
Will the IAI hold events during this period?
Since the closure of the Otto-Braun-Saal and the Simón-Bolívar-Saal in summer 2011, we have taken the opportunity to try out a variety of new settings for our events program. We will mainly hold our events in the Kulturforum, in the auditorium of the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts), in the Curt-Sachs-Saal at the Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung (State Institute for Music Research) or on other partners' premises. You will find more information on the venues and events in our program booklet, or at http://www.iai.spk-berlin.de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungsprogramm.html.
At the bottom of this page you will find a PDF document containing the addresses of the alternative venues, plus a map of the area and directions to each venue.
Thank you for your understanding!