Table of Content
- General catalogue tips
- Hit list and filters
- Search by subject
- Save hit lists and searches
- Provenances and provenance features
- Using the holdings
- Lending and use
- Reproductions
- Legal questions
- Citing and referencing catalogue entries
- Manuscripts: Additional notes
- Images and Objects: Additional notes
- Printed Works, audio and video material: Additional Notes
1. General Catalogue Tips
Which search operators can be used in the search bar?
AND, OR, NOT, AND NOT (upper case)
() to combine two terms, e.g.: (Exil OR Exilliteratur) AND (Lyrik OR Gedichte)
" " for phrase searching
* for truncation
~ for alternative spellings, e.g.: Maier~ findet auch Mair, Meyer, ....
~ in phrase searches to allow for spaces between words, e.g.: "Schiller Goethe"~5 (results will include both terms within five words)
What do the icons on the list of results and detail view mean?
The catalogue's central search field allows simultaneous searches for manuscripts, printed works, images, objects, audio and video resources, and digital objects. The catalogue also contains collection overviews (including estates, authors' libraries, and publishers’ archives). Authority records create a network in which they connect the entries.
An overview of the icons:
Printed Works 
Manuscripts
Pictures and Objects 
Contains a link to a digital photo
Audio 
Video
Description of holdings (using the example of manuscripts)
Files
Contains a link to a digital copy of e.g. an electronic version of a printed work or entry
Authority records
Do I have to be registered as a user in order to search for and place orders?
You can search freely in our catalogue, add hits to a watch list, and view digital materials. Ordering media for use on the premises of the DLA is only possible for registered users. Find out more about registering here.
Can I export data from the catalogue or print out lists?
You can export and print from your watch list in the following ways, some of which are still in progress. For technical reasons, a maximum of 200 records can be exported as a table in csv format. We are working on a solution that will allow for more extensive catalogue exports. At the moment, only the permalink and the title are exported, but more fields will be added. The formats for printing and sending via email are also still in progress, as well as exports for literature management programmes.
How do I find digitised versions and born digitals in the catalogue?
The visual display is still under development. In ‘Images & Objects’, single digitised images are displayed in jpg format; they are all copyright-free material or materials for which the copyrights have been cleared before being added to the catalogue. More can be displayed on the DLA campus than on the Internet.
The catalogue will soon be expanded to include a player for audio documents and a viewer for browsing through multi-page documents.
During indexing, the catalogue record of the original is supplemented with a link to the digital copy. For born-digitals, there is a separate catalogue record. The filter“digital media only” does not distinguish between analogue materials that were digitized and born-digitals.
The archive is receiving more and more electronic estate objects; these are the so-called ‘born-digitals’ (materials that were created electronically from the start, rather than a digitised copy of a physical source).
Born-digital objects from handwritten collections can be found by the following search combination: Select the value " Manuscripts" from the media type filter and the value "Electronic object" in the ‘medium’ filter.
Web-archived objects can be filtered using the value “Medium=Online Resource” and the values “Literary Weblog”, “Literary Internet Journal”, and “Net Literature” in the filter “Form and Content”.
How can I search for people, corporations, and names?
Authority records are used to both search for and display corporate bodies and persons and their works when completing search terms in the search bar and as top match at the beginning of a hit list, see also explanations in the Infowiki.
During indexing, however, documents cannot always be assigned to a specific person. Is a letter writer really the literary scholar Hans Mayer (1907-2001) or an unknown namesake, i.e. just a name? The objects linked to "names" may well come from the right person, only that it could not be clearly determined during indexing. For example, in the case of letters, it is not always possible to determine who exactly is the author or addressee, even if names are available. Due to personal rights and copyrights, non-individualized name records are used in such doubtful cases in order to avoid false speculative attributions.
In the detailed display of a person, the section "possible further hits" can be used to search for hits that are only linked to a "name" record.
The menu selection "Names & Works" above the search slot finds persons (names), corporations and works.
A specific search for names, persons or corporations is offered by the filter"Dataset".
What exactly is meant by the words "From the same creator"??
The "From the same creator" option searches for all hits, both holdings and individual records, which have the same creator as the present hit. This does not necessarily mean that the author is the same as the inventory creator. See also "What is an inventory creator?"".
For example: In the case of a letter from Mary Tucholsky to Fritz J. Raddatz from the holdings "A:Tucholsky, Kurt", Kurt Tucholsky is the inventory creator. A hit with the same inventory creator would be, for example, the letter from Kitty Frankfurter to Elisabeth Castonier from the inventory "A:Tucholsky, Kurt/Family".
How do I make a search in just the holdings/ just the individual records?
The filter "Dataset" offers the possibility to limit the results to single objects -> e.g. "Library materials", "Manuscripts", "Images and objects" or to the holdings sets, "Estates and special collections".
To narrow down the holdings records to a specific media type, the corresponding media type can be selected via the search bar before the search or via the media type filter after the search.
For example, to search specifically for manuscript holdings, the value "Manuscripts" must also be selected in the media type filter, as well as the value "Estates and Special Collections" from the data holdings filter.
2. Hit List and Filters
Which filters are there in the catalogue?
Filters are only displayed if values from a filter appear in the set of results. A maximum of 50 values are visible in a filter. At the end of the value list, the value "not determined" shows how many records in the result list do not have a value from this filter
The following filters and filters exist in relation to the total cross-media stock:
Digital media only:
Filter on digital forms, i.e., only ‘born-digitals’ or digitised versions are made available
Media Types:
Contains the values: printed works, manuscripts, authority files, audio, video, images and objects, data
Form and content:
The most common 5 values: letter, essay, prose, review, poetry
Medium:
Most common 5 values: article, book, journal issue, journal volume, series
Timet:
This is visualized as a timeline and proffers a bundle of information, e.g. 1930 - 1940, the years in between are also included, e.g. 1931-1939. Includes: Year of publication, time of origin, reporting year (for periodicals), broadcast date (radio manuscripts), year of birth, year of death, and period of activity for persons, and the foundation, dissolution, and period of activity for institutions.
Note: The advanced search can also be used to search for records without a time specification
Personen + Corporations:
Hierarchical representation: this can be combined with terms such as "From", "To", "About", "Under" to refine the search, as well as with specified roles, e.g. "Correspondent", "Addressee", "Translator", "Illustrator"
Subject:
This filter evaluates the search term "About", and contains persons, entities, places, and subject terms. The filter only works well in the collection of the library, "Printed works, audio and video" if the number of results has already been limited by other filters. In the holdings "Manuscripts" and "Images & Objects" only a small portion has been thematically indexed.
New in the catalogue:
New records in the catalogue can be filtered by week, month, quarter, half-year, year.
Note: Advanced search can also be used to search for a specific day.
Language:
The language of the original is also given with translations
Place:
Contains the place of publication, place of origin, place as subject, place portrayed, place of birth, death, and place of activity for persons, headquarters and venue for institutions
Sammlung:
Zuordnung zu einem konkreten Nachlass, Vorlass, Sammlung, auch Zuordnung zu Unterbeständen und Kryptobeständen im Archiv
Collection:
This filters by a specific estate, prelude, collection, or alternatively an assignment to sub holdings and crypto holdings in the archive,
Collection:
All data holdings entered into the catalogue contain information for the following values: library materials, manuscripts, persons, systematic chains, corporations, places and subject terms, works, special collections, images and objects, subject classification, digital reference works, electronic journal library
Bibliography:
The personal bibliographies listed in the catalogue include Alfred Döblin, Siegfried Kracauer, and Friedrich Schiller
What should be considered when using the Time filter?
The time filter should not be limited to the first or last year of the histogram. The intervals of the time filter are determined differently in each case, depending on how large the entire period is. Otherwise, the whole curve could never be displayed accurately. If you move the cursor over the points of the histogram curve, you can see how the first data point is composed of several years, e.g. 1885-1888. If you want to restrict the search to areas at the beginning or end of the histogram, you should always adjust using the time period indicated by the toggle below the histogram.
Attention: Manuscripts often do not contain any information about the time of origin. Results without date information disappear from the list of results as soon as the time filter is used. It is therefore possible that results are incomplete, even if they actually originate from the searched period. In the "Advanced search", a search field is offered that can be used to search for results that do not contain a date, or simply have the note "without date".
What is the "Collection" filter useful for?
In the DLA, many individual results are related to an estate or special collection. You can get an inventory overview of all estates and closed collections via this entry point
IThe Collection filter shows whether the individual results have a link to a stock or a subcategory of a stock. The most common abbreviations are:
A: Manuscript holdings owned by the DLA
G: Closed collection of the library
J: Collection of images and objects
SUA: Collection Siegfried Unseld Archive
An overview of all abbreviations can be found under the FAQ "What is a holdings signature"?
If you select a value in this filter, you can continue searching within this stock by making entries in the search bar. It is important to use the "Back to results list" button to switch between the detailed view and the results list.
If you select a value from the filter in a result list, it should be noted that necessary results from another collection can also be excluded, e.g. if there are copies of an edition with different provenances. If you select several values one after the other, the filter "Collection" can be used to find copies that were on the shelves of several authors' libraries, e.g. "The Letters of Diotima" from 1921.
It should also be noted that not all entries in a results list have a link to a collection. For example, there are books with handwritten dedications and provenance traces that do not have a link to a collection and disappear from the results list when using the Collection filter.
3. Search by Subject
How can I find manuscripts on a specific topic?
Due to capacity reasons, most manuscripts are not indexed by subject. Therefore, a search for subjects, keywords, work titles and the use of filters may either generate no results, or incomplete results. We recommend the free, sometimes truncated search via the quick search bar.
How do I find secondary literature?
Essentially, you can simply start searching via the quick search bar, and if necessary you can also narrow down the search terms. Don't be afraid of getting too many results, you can reduce them by using the filters. The filter "Persons and entities" is particularly useful for subject searches - here you can choose between primary (From) and secondary sources (About) - as well as the filter "Topic", which allows you to restrict to a subject term.
Secondary literature or secondary sources about a person or entity can also be found in the following way: first, enter the name in the search bar and you will get a suggestion list; select the person you are looking for from the bottom grey highlighted area "relevant names and works" and start the search with "search now". In the result list, the person you are looking for is displayed as an authority record hit with a grey background. In the detailed display of the authority file set, you will find secondary literature and further materials about the person under the heading "About...", subdivided according to the media type.
When searching for secondary literature on a work, this might be a suitable option: limit the search to the "Names and works" section and enter the title you are looking for, with the author's name if necessary. In the results list, the work you are looking for is displayed as an authority record result with a grey background. In the detailed display of the work title, you will find secondary literature and further materials about the work under the heading "About ..." subdivided according to the media type.
What does the link to the "Search by subject" on the home page contain?
Here you can start your search for secondary literature for the holdings of the library - printed works and audio and video materials. There are four hierarchically classification systems:
Author and entity scheme: an alphabetized list of names with further subcategories, such as biography, work, history of impact, each down to the level of keywords, work titles
Bibliography scheme: access to the personal bibliographies on Alfred Döblin, Siegfried Kracauer and Friedrich Schiller in the catalogue
Subject classification: this offers a systematic introduction to a specific subject area. It is sophisticatedly developed for the dense holdings of the DLA's collection area to include and distinguish between German literature, books, publishing and manuscripts and also theatre. For example, starting from an introduction such as "German Literature: Individual Epochs", one gets a very good overview of German literature 1910 - 1945 and, to a slightly lesser extent, of exile literature 1933 - 1950 (resources, literary journals, genres, comparisons and relationships, etc.). This is also useful for a rough introduction to related areas.
Provenance Thesaurus: this gives an alphabetized list of persons from whom there are provenance traces in printed materials, such as "autograph", "reading date", "note", and "dedication". One can get a very good impression of authors whose libraries are completely indexed, e.g. Paul Celan, Ernst Jünger, or Reinhart Koselleck
You can use the search function of the browser to navigate the extensive persons’ alphabets (this is typically using the key combination Ctrl+F).
But one also has the possibility to use a search term to search all 4 classifications. For performance reasons, only the first two levels are displayed; if you click on the arrow, you will be taken directly to the place in the tree that contains the term you are looking for. Please note that the search has no autocomplete function yet and you have to search with the correct form of the name (if you get 0 results in the first attempt, just search via the normal search bar and try again with the form of the name found there).
Whenever a magnifying glass appears in the hierarchy, this means that a search for titles in the catalogue can be performed. All the results of this hierarchy level and all levels below will be found. If no search magnifier is displayed, you have to navigate further down. The technical reason for this is that only a maximum of 100 search positions can be sent with a search. The list of results is opened in a new tab so that the system context is retained and navigation can continue.
4. Save hit lists and searches
Can I save searches?
Searches cannot be saved, but you can repeat the result of a search with all the selected filters by copying the complete link from the bar line of the browser. This search link can be pasted directly in the browser and then it reproduces the search.
For the subject search entry and the collection overview, the search syntax shown below is used, with the search term added after the equal sign
For example.:
"https://www.dla-marbach.de/bestandsuebersicht/?tx_dlaopacng_dlacollection[search]=Eduard Mörike"
"https://www.dla-marbach.de/systematik/?tx_dlaopacng_dlaclassification[search]=Exilliteratur"
5. Provenances and provenance features
How can I search for provenances and provenance characteristics in the catalogue?
Provenance information is recorded very diversely in the data. Only dedications are very extensively recorded. The Form and Content filter contains over 10,000 entries for the term "dedication." Other provenance features have been recorded less systematically over time.
After a search has been carried out, e.g. with the name of a person, the filter "Persons & Corporations" can be used, which contains the value of the stock creator/previous owner.
Especially for dedications, the value "Dedication" in the filter "Form and Content" is helpful.
The homepage link Collection Overview (accessible via the teaser image or directly below the search slot) offers an overview of all estates and closed collections, whereby it should be noted that the contributor is not to be equated with Previous Owner. In the detailed view of a collection overview, however, previous owners are marked.
Where can I find information about the provenance of a manuscript?
The provenance can be determined with the help of the access number in the records of the DLA; however, for legal reasons, such information is not available in every case.
How do I search for marks of provenance in items?
Since 2008, printed materials have been indexed using the vocabulary of the Provenance Thesaurus T-Pro.Prior to that, provenance and provenance features were recorded in a specimen-specific comment field. If the provenance history is to be reconstructed, old accession books must also be consulted.
The start page "Search by subject" contains an entry via the Provenance Thesaurus. It is an alphabetised list of persons from whom there are marks of provenance in printed materials, such as "autograph", "reading date", "note", and "dedication". You can get a very good impression of authors whose libraries are fully indexed, such as Paul Celan, Ernst Jünger, and Reinhart Koselleck. You can also search in the normal search bar using specific vocabulary.
In the "Advanced search" there is a search field called "Provenance characteristics copy"; you can use this to narrow down the very broad search via the search bar to a free text search, which specifically searches only in database fields that contain provenance information about copies.
The filter "Collection" can be used to restrict the search to a collection, e.g. an author's library, in order to search only in this collection specifically for marks of provenance. If you select a value in this filter, you can continue searching within this collection by making entries in the search bar. It is important to use the "Back to results list" button to switch between the detailed view and the results list. See also FAQ "What is the "Collection" filter useful for?
Where is provenance information displayed in printed materials?
In the detail view there is a tab ‘Ordered/Provenance’. Here you will find a list of all items listed in the catalogue with provenance information. Clicking on the button "Order/Provenance" will give you further information. An example with many copies is AK00977474 (just enter in the search bar).
6. Notes on the holdings
How can I tell how comprehensively and completely a stock of holdings (e.g. an estate or a closed collection) has already been indexed?
Holdings are indicated in the result list by a ‘double icon’, e.g. 2 layered manuscript icons for a manuscript holding:
In the collection overview of a stock, the fields "Order" and "Description" record whether the collection has been indexed, how much of it has been indexed, and how precisely. Listings are available for some holdings - this is also noted in the collection overview. For partially or fully indexed holdings, there is a link at the end of the description which leads to a hit list of the catalogued items. If the number of individual objects indicated in the text differs greatly from the number of linked records, please inquire at our information desk about the status of cataloguing; it may be that only very few objects have been catalogued, e.g., for an exhibition.
What does the designation "Under" mean for a person or corporation?
The designation "Under", as e.g. in the filter "Persons & Corporations", means the person who created the holdings. The materials are filed under that person or entity.
What is a collection citation? And what do the letters with a colon mean?
Each stock has a unique call number, which consists of one or more capital letters to indicate the stock type, a colon, and the stock name (usually corresponds to the creator of the stock).
In the catalogue, the holdings are indicated by a collection citation to indicate that they belong to a special holding.
The letters in the signature correspond to the following collection types:
A: Holdings owned by the DLA
B: Individual authors’ works owned by the DLA
BD: Deposits with individual authors
C: Provenance material
CD: Deposits with provenance material
Cotta: holdings of the Cotta Archive
D: Deposits
DOK: Document collection of media documentation
G: Special collection of the library
J: Collection of images and objects
MH: Holdings of the Working Group for Literary Museums, Archives and Memorials in Baden-Württemberg
SUA: Holdings of the Siegfried Unseld Archive
SUAD: Depositum im Siegfried Unseld Archiv
TH: Deposit in the Siegfried Unseld Archive
Z: Collection of newspaper clippings from the media documentation
What is a contributor?
A contributor is a person or corporation to or from whom we got a collection (estate, collection, etc.). The contributor is identified in the collection overview. The name of the contributor is often part of the stock signature. Cf. media number BF00014409
What does "Standortkonvolut" mean?
Location volumes are separate smaller parts within a holding, so-called sub stocks. They offer the possibility of representing factual connections within a stock. They are identified in the collection ciation by "/" [slash]. Additional sub-stocks may be formed within the holdings.
Examples:
A:Zuckmayer/Als wärs ein Stück von mir
SUA:Suhrkamp/01 Verlagsleitung/Autorenkonvolute/Bernhard, Thomas
What does "crypto stock" mean?
This is an inventory within another inventory with an inventory creator that differs from the main inventory. See also the comprehensive set of rules "Resource cataloguing with standards data in archives and libraries" (RNAB)
A crypto holdings is represented in the holdings signature by „°“ [Gradzeichen].
Example:
Crypto holdings of Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer, wife of Carl Zuckmayers:
A:Zuckmayer, Carl°Herdan-Zuckmayer, Alice
7. Lending and using materials
How do I order and where can I pick up the ordered media?
In the full record there is the tab Order/Provenance. A traffic light system is used to indicate the availability. You can also access the tab directly from the list of results.
The traffic light system is valid for all types of media:
Green = available
Orange = available with restrictions. A loan slip is generated, but the media is only made available after consultation
Red = cannot be ordered, advice is given for what alternatives are possible (e.g. in a multi-volume work order the single volumes) or whom to contact.
The order button is red in a collection overview, because it is not possible to order a whole collection e.g. estate, special collection, author's library. A collection can contain hundreds of boxes or books. The degree of the indexing of a holding is shown in the full record display in the fields "Order" and "Indexing". If a collection is partially or completely indexed, the linked individual items can be ordered. If parts of holdings or entire holdings are not indexed, please contact the staff in the reading room. Depending on the method of ordering from a collection, it is possible to borrow certain objects or parts of the collection by means of paper loan slips filled out by hand.
Although the catalogue shows all media in the DLA together, the provision and use is still media-specific.
Objects are made available at the following locations in the DLA, recognizable by the icons:
Printed works: issue desk in the library reading room
Manuscripts: counter in the manuscript reading room
Images & Objects: in the user room of Images & Objects
Audio & 
Video: in the user cabins of Media Documentation
Individual orders are possible in the new catalogue, just click on the button "Order now". You can also use the star button to make a list of multiple items first and then order them individually by clicking on the title in the watch list. Collective ordering of an entire list is still under development.
For books and magazines there are often several copies. Please order the first copy in the list unless you specifically need a copy with provenance or from an author's library/special collection for your research. Provenances are even visible on the list of results on the tab Order/Provenance; under Details & Usage you will get even more information about the copy.
Where can I view my orders?
Unfortunately this is not yet possible, an online library account for patrons is currently under development
Can I also order sets of pictures and objects such as paintings, sculptures, large-format graphics and photographs, memorabilia, etc. for viewing?
In general, the sets of image and large-format objects are marked with the usage code 'restricted use' (orange button). When placing an order, please contact the department 'Images and Objects'(bilder-und-objekte@dla-marbach.de) at the same time and arrange an appointment for viewing.
8. Reproduktionen
How do I order reproductions of collection objects?
Reproductions of collection objects from all areas of the collection can be ordered in printable quality via the photo service (difo@dla-marbach.de), provided that the applicable copyright and personal rights are observed. Objects that have already been digitised can be found in the catalogue with the facetfilter "digital media only". On the page "Details" you will find a number under "Digital object", with which you can order the desired digital copy via the photo office. For this, the DLA charges production costs and, in cases of subsequent publication, usage fees as well. Further information can be found in the current fee schedule.
9. Legal questions
Why can certain digitised items in the catalogue only be viewed on the campus of the German Literature Archive, but not on the Internet?
Since the display online of a copyrighted object in the catalogue of an institution also constitutes a publication, it is an infringement of copyright without the permission of the author or legal successor; generally, only copyright-free images can be released.
Why do user fees sometimes have to be paid to both the archive and the authors or legal successors?
In purchasing a copyrighted object, the DLA only acquires the right of possession, but not the copyright. In Germany, copyright cannot be sold as such, but only passes to heirs within the framework of inheritance. Therefore, authors or legal successors also have the right to demand user fees.
10. Zitieren und Referenzieren von Katalogeinträgen
Can I reference a result in the catalogue directly?
Each catalogue entry has a permanent link, which can be copied in the detail view of a hit via the button with the chain symbol. Book copies (e.g. from an author library) have a permanent link for the specific copy, which is displayed in the detail view on the TAB "Order/Provenience" under Details & Usage.
This is the symbol for a permanent link: 
How do I cite manuscripts from the DLA?
Please provide the following information adapted to your citation style:
Manuscripts
Author(s)
Title [genre]. DLA Marbach, stock by stock signature (media number if available, otherwise accession number)
For example:
Friedrich Schiller: Der Graf von Habsburg [Gedichte] . DLA Marbach, A:Schiller, Friedrich von (HS004908454)
Letters
Persons A to B, Datum . Date. DLA Marbach, stock based on the stock signature (media number if available, otherwise access number)
For example
Thomas Mann an Hermann Hesse, 23.12.1930 . DLA Marbach, D: Hesse, Hermann (HS008079437)
Correspondance
Persons A to B, Datum . Date. DLA Marbach, stock based on the stock signature (media number if available, otherwise access number)
For example:
Briefwechsel Leopold von Andrian-Werburg mit Stefan George, 1894-1902 . DLA Marbach, A:Andrian, Leopold von (HS001598071)
Documents
Documented person or Corporations
Title. DLA Marbach, stock based on the stock signature (media number if available, otherwise accession number)
For example:
Louise Essmann-Schlatterer: Visitenkarte . DLA Marbach, A:Schäff-Zerweck, Heinrich (HS000000584)
Materials contained
Example a
Reinhart Koselleck: Notizzettel. In: Einlagen 131 . DLA Marbach, C:Koselleck, Reinhart (HS008170061)
Example b
Berta Aichinger: Taufschein. In: Konvolut: Lebens- und Sterbedokumente . DLA Marbach, A:Aichinger, Ilse (HS010915964)
Example c
Peter Hacks: Die beiden Erdferkel [Dramatisches . Hörspiele]. In: Sammlung: Tiere sind auch Menschen. DLA Marbach, A:Hacks, Peter (HS009085401)
Example d
Karl Krolow: Ferner Dudelsack [Gedichte]. In: Sammlung: Gedichte 1945/46. DLA Marbach, SUA:Suhrkamp/01 Verlagsleitung°Unseld, Siegfried/Autographensammlung (HS011041155)
For materials that have not yet been indexed, you can also contact our information desk for assistance with the information.
11. Manuscripts: additional notes
How are holdings and manuscripts related?
A manuscript stock (estate or collection, etc.) is first recorded generally and roughly in a so-called stock record. For example: media number BF00000003
This gives an incomplete overview of some important contents.
In the inventory record it is also documented which order and development status is currently accessible, and whether there are closures, restrictions on use, or special features.
As soon as part (or all) of the holdings are catalogued, manuscript records are created and linked to the holdings record. In the holdings record, you will then see a link to "individual objects" at the bottom of the "Relationships" field. And vice versa, in the manuscript records, you will see a link to the holdings record via the "Holdings Signature" link.
Media type facetfilter: why do I also get holdings records for the "Manuscripts" value?
The value "Manuscripts" in the facetfilter "Media type" includes both the individual records and the manuscript holdings. This is to ensure that holdings that have not yet been indexed or have only been partially indexed can also be found if necessary.
Please note that the list of results may contain overlaps. This means that in the case of indexed holdings, both the corresponding holdings records and the itemizations may be included as results.
How do I divide up a very large list of manuscript results into manageable parts?
1) The facetfilter "Form and Content" is very helpful for narrowing it down: here, a distinction is made according to material groups (letters, documents, various types of manuscripts) and according to literary genres. Please note that the results partly overlap, since a manuscript can be assigned to several genres
Most of the facetfilter values refer to single objects. However, there are also values here that refer to holdings sets only: Estate, Collection, Archive, etc. This means that, depending on the selection of a value, either the inventory records or the individual records fall out of the hit list.
2) Another possibility is offered by the facetfilter "Persons & Corporations". Here, after selecting a person, further distinctions can be made with the functions "from", "to", "above" etc. The value "from" leads to records in which the corresponding person is linked as a record creator.With this facetfilter, it should be noted that so-called "non-individualized" names are usually listed far below and can easily be overlooked. For a comprehensive search, it is recommended to also search for results on these names separately. See note on name search)
How do I find all manuscripts from/to one person?
Since not all holdings are indexed, i.e. individual records are not always available as manuscript sets, a general rough search in the search bar is recommended, e.g.: hannah arendt. This will also search free texts and descriptions (which are of course only incomplete) in holdings records.
The value "manuscripts" in the tab above the search bar as well as in the media type facetfilter includes both individual manuscript records and holdings records
When searching specifically for individuals, it should be noted that, particularly in the case of manuscripts, there are also so-called "non-individualized" name records that have the same name form. Handwriting records that are linked to this could possibly also belong to the individualized person. Cf. name search.
It should also be noted that a large part of the manuscript holdings is not indexed and therefore cannot be searched in the cataloguet suchbar ist.
Where can I find information about the provenance of a manuscript
The provenance can be determined with the help of the access number in the records of the DLA; however, such information is not possible in every case for legal reasons.
What is a media number?
This is the unique record number by which a manuscript or stock can be identified or retrieved. The letters at the beginning of the number indicate the origin from a data stock: HS for manuscript item records and BF for holdings.
The media number can be searched for using the search bar.
It is only in very exceptional cases that a record is deleted or re-catalogued. In the case of re-cataloguing, the catalogue record is given a different media number.
12. Images and objects: additional notes
What is meant by a 'picture set'?
By a picture set we understand the totality of the pictorial and figurative components of an estate, antecedent estate, publisher's archive or a collection. The unifying element of all objects of a picture volume (= main volume) is therefore a certain provenance. A picture set is usually a mixed set consisting of different types of objects (e.g. paintings, sculptures, graphics, photographs, memorabilia, and posters).
What is a site collection in the sense of the collection 'pictures and objects'?
In the case of a site collection, all objects are combined into one site collection, regardless of their provenance. In the collection 'Pictures and Objects', however, site collections are only formed in some exceptional cases. The significance of a particular author or a person depicted can be essential for the formation of a set of shelf-markings (for the location of texts).
What is the difference between a photo set and a photo folder?
All photographs contained in a picture set are combined into a photo set and attached to the associated picture set as a sub-set. Photo folders are formed as further thematic sets (e.g. "Portraits alone", "Portraits with others" or "Portraits other persons"). These photo folders can only be ordered directly from the catalogue (green button).
What do the colors (traffic light system) at the order button in the collection "Images and Objects" mean?
The respective colors (green, orange, red) indicate the availability of the respective stock/set/object:
Green: available - can be ordered for viewing in the user room Images & Objects without restrictions
Orange: restricted usability - can only be ordered after consultation
Red: not usable
What are 'objects' in the "Images & Objects" collection?
Under "Objects" you will find the so-called "memorabilia".
These include objects of all kinds from the possession or use of authors that come to the DLA with respective estates/bequests, e.g. furniture and other household objects, items of clothing or writing tools.
13. Printed matter, audio & video: additional notes
What personal bibliographies are in the catalogue and how can I search them?
There are 3 bibliographies of persons maintained in the catalogue, detailed information about the bibliographies can be found on our Webseite
The reporting periods of the bibliographies in the catalogue are:
Alfred Döblin: potentially complete primary and secondary literature 1905 - 2017.
Siegfried Kracauer: potentially complete primary and secondary literature: 1906 - 1971), further entries until about 1989 .
Friedrich Schiller: as of reporting year 2019, prior to that PDFs and in print.
A very good introduction to the bibliographies is provided by the teaser on the home page "Thematic search entry", describing the bibliography scheme.
After a simple search, e.g. with the search term "Alfred Döblin" or without a search term, the facetfilter "Bibliography" offers a possibility to search further within that bibliography specifically. It is important to use the "Back to results list" button to switch between the detailed view and the results list.
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