Collections

Photo: Jan Buus
A summary of materials available at the Library & Videotheque at the Danish Film Institute.

Books

The book collection covers every aspect of film and television, including history, production, aesthetics, sociology, and literature relating to film professionals and individual film and television productions.

Search options

All books are registered in the Library’s Reindex database. Reindex includes catalogue entries for articles appearing in books and anthologies.

Circulation and display

The bulk of the book collection is available for loan. Exceptions are reference works, rare books and certain illustrated works.

Periodicals

The Library subscribes to approximately 250 periodicals. The collection comprises a substantial number of old and new magazine titles, ranging from extended, unbroken runs in bound volumes to a single or a few issues.

Search options

Periodical titles and related inventory information are registered in the Library's Reindex database. This includes electronic magazines and links to electronic versions of print magazines. A large number of periodicals are still being entered into the system. References to magazine articles can be found at FIAF Databases Online (only accessible in-house at the Library).

Circulation and display

The periodical collection holds current issues of in-print periodicals. Only duplicates circulate. All other periodicals are for on-site use only. A large part of this collection is in storage due to space restrictions.

Clippings

The clippings collection includes newspaper clippings about film, television and video as well as film programmes and promotional material for almost every Danish film that has had a theatrical distribution.

Search options

Due to copyright, clippings are not available online. Although some material has been scanned and is available online via the National Filmography, this part of the Filmography is only accessible in-house at the Library.

Circulation and display

Due to copyright, original materials from the clippings collection may be read in the library only.

Souvenir programmes for Danish films have been scanned and are accessible via the Danish Film Database.

Clippings about Danish and international films released in Danish cinemas can only be viewed in the Library during opening hours with the staff present.

Screenplays

As the screenplays are in remote storage, please expect a delivery time of approx. one week.

Danish sound films

The collection of screenplay material includes synopses, original screenplays, dialogue lists and storyboards.

Danish silent films

This collection consists of screenplay material for approximately 800 Danish silent films and 500 unrealised screenplays.

International Films

This collection holds screenplay material for approximately 12,000 international features.

Circulation and display

Screenplays are not available for loan and can only be read at the Library.

Final drafts of screenplays for realised Danish feature films that have received government production subsidies are available for reading or copying (10 DKK for the first page, 1 DKK for following pages). The Library can make and send copies for a handling fee of 200 DKK.

Some material can only be made available following the written consent of the screenwriter or his/her estate. Post-production material for international films is the property of the distributor and may not be copied without the owner's written consent.

Special collections

Special collections cover individuals and companies. Documenting the contents of the collections in the form of inventories and descriptions is continual, as is making the registers available in Reindex.

Accessing the special collections

Special conditions apply to patrons interested in using the special collections:

  1. Special collections are for research and educational purposes only.
  2. Special clauses may apply to some collections.
  3. To gain access to the special collections, a written application must be sent to the library.

Donations

Donations of material are incorporated into the respective collections if they supplement the collections and otherwise meet the general criteria.

The Library reserves the right to remain selective in connection with donation material. The Library will sort out material that is irrelevant to its collection for possible transfer to other collections or organisations.

Special collections about individuals or individual institutions are as far as possible kept intact.

Library & Videotheque

Address
Gothersgade 55, 1st floor 
1123 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel. +45 3374 3400
bibliotek@dfi.dk

Opening hours
Monday-Friday: 09:00-21:00
Saturday: 10:45-21.00
Sunday: 10:45-19:00

Staffed hours
Tuesday: 10:00-17:00
Wednesday-Thursday: 12:00-17:00
Friday: 12:00-16:00

Use your Health Insurance Card and pincode to access the Library and the Videotheque outside staffed hours.