Nacht der Bibliotheken

In the organizer's words:

On Friday, April 4, 2025, the Night of the Libraries will take place for the first time nationwide. Under the motto "Knowledge.Share.Discover", small and large libraries, special libraries, public and academic libraries will open their doors on the first Friday evening in April and invite people to discover the wide range of services on offer in libraries.

With over 763,000 media units, the library of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte (ZI) in Munich is one of the largest art libraries in the world. It is primarily used for academic research. With four guided tours, we invite you to get to know the building, the library and the book collections.

Further information on the Germany-wide day of action: https: //www.nachtderbibliotheken.de/

PROGRAMME

19:30-20:30 | Guided tour with the head of the library, Rüdiger Hoyer: From Vitruvius to Thomas Schütte - special books from the holdings of the ZI library

Rüdiger Hoyer will present a selection of rare works from the ZI's rare book collection: from old architectural treatises to contemporary artists' books and comics. Let yourself be surprised by the diversity of one of the largest specialized art-historical libraries and view valuable unique items up close.

20:00-21:00 | Guided tour with art historian Ann-Kathrin Fischer and librarian Martin Stahl: A look behind the scenes of the Central Institute of Art History library

The library of the ZI is one of the largest art libraries in the world. It is located in the former "NSDAP administration building", where the Central Art Collecting Point (CCP) was set up by the American military government in June 1945, which is also where the library was founded. Today, the library serves as a research library for students, artists and academics from all over the world. During a guided tour of the library, Ann-Kathrin Fischer and Martin Stahl will explain the history of the library's founding and provide insights into otherwise closed rooms.

20:30-21:30 | Guided tour with librarian Diana Scheiermann and art historian Cornelia Wichmann: What does a librarian actually do in an art library?

The ZI library houses unique collections, including unusual objects that go beyond the usual book format. How do you go about cataloging a book consisting exclusively of pictures? Or a booklet whose circulation is so small that no information about it is available on the Internet? How is this data recorded so that it can be displayed correctly in kubikat, the library catalog? The librarians at the ZI deal with these and similar questions on a daily basis. Diana Scheiermann and Cornelia Wichmann provide insights into their work as librarians: They explain how library cards are issued, how they help with user inquiries, what process a book has to go through before it ends up on the shelf, and what opportunities there are for training and further education in librarianship.

21:00-22:00 | Guided tour with art historian Ann-Kathrin Fischer and librarian Martin Stahl: A look behind the scenes of the Central Institute of Art History library

The library of the ZI is one of the largest art libraries in the world. It is located in the former "NSDAP administration building", where the Central Art Collecting Point (CCP) was set up by the American military government in June 1945, which is also where the library was founded. Today, the library serves as a research library for students, artists and academics from all over the world. During a guided tour of the library, Ann-Kathrin Fischer and Martin Stahl will explain the history of the library's founding and provide insights into otherwise closed rooms.

Participation is free of charge. Maximum number of participants per tour: 20 people. Please register at nachtderbibliotheken@zikg.eu
Central meeting point for guided tours: Central Institute for Art History, Katharina-von-Bora-Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Lichthof Nord, 1st floor.
Photographs and/or films will be taken during our events for public relations purposes. Please inform us if you do not wish to have your picture published.