Nothing is permanent without change! Since its foundation more than 100 years ago, the German National Library has constantly adapted its workflows and methods to accommodate new media and types of publication. As an institution dedicated to the preservation of national memory, we too are now having to face the challenges associated with digitalisation. The book and media world is being transformed, new forms of reading and working are developing. The behaviour of our users and the expectations they have of us are also changing. These are what we have to measure up to. Our goal is not only to react to social developments but also to actively help shape the future.

Strategic Compass

In a world in which new trends are bringing about radical changes in society within a very short time, we need a compass for orientation. Addressing future challenges enables us to plan and implement developmental phases early on. We have published our medium-term goals in the paper “German National Library 2025: Strategic Compass”. The Compass is a logical progression of a mission statement that we first drafted in 2004. It is therefore the starting point of an ongoing strategic process. The guiding principle for changes is our legal mandate.

The Compass describes the current situation, the changing environment, the challenges this entails for us, and our guidelines for four major subject areas:

1. Collect & preserve
2. Document & disseminate
3. Present & inspire
4. Integrate & organise

German National Library 2025: Strategic Compass

Strategic Priorities

The Compass is fleshed out by our Strategic Priorities. These help us prioritise our tasks and focus on the right areas in our everyday work. “The German National Library is an active cultural memory of the past and future.” This is the motto of our third Strategic Priorities publication, which focuses on a specific part of our legal mandate and follows on from the Strategic Priorities publications of 2014 and 2017. In order to be able to continue functioning as a cultural memory in the future, we aim to intensify our policy of viewing all processes and workflows through a “digital lens”.

Strategic Priorities 2021–2024
Strategic Priorities 2021–2024 (barrier-free version)

Dialogues for Tomorrow

We regularly hold discussions with experts in the fields of culture, science, business, media and politics and with other social groups. We also facilitate an irregular series of future workshops. These help us evaluate current developments. The topics addressed by these “Dialogues for Tomorrow” range from media trends and innovative approaches through collecting and preservation to recommendations for action and potential solutions. They mainly focus on technical, organisational or legal issues. The events frequently also serve as a forum for initiating new cooperative projects.

Previous “Dialogues for Tomorrow”

All Publications are only available in German.

• “Beethoven 2020/2030. Music in the Digital Present and Future”
  Virtual, 22 October 2020
  about the event
• Rethinking Culture and Science - Opportunities, Risks and Developments of the Digital Revolution in Europe
  Virtual, 7 October 2020
  about the event
• Current developments and perspectives in the digital humanities
  about the event
• Dialogue on licensing information and the documentation of rights – establishing sustainable data flows
  Frankfurt am Main, 7 November 2017
  about the event
  

• Digital Memory

  Frankfurt am Main, 12 April 2016
  event report

• The Future of the GND: the Prospects of Museums, Archives and Media Libraries

  Frankfurt am Main, 1 December 2015
  Veranstaltungsbericht "Zukunft der GND" 523kB, PDF -

• Music in the Internet – an Exchange of Thoughts on the DNB Collections of Music Publications Online

  Leipzig, 28 November 2014
  event report

• Crossing Borders – The Future of Access

  International Conference at the German National Library; Frankfurt am Main, 7 to 8 April 2014
  event report

• Preserving the Dynamic!? – an Exchange of Thoughts on Collecting Dynamic Publication Forms Online

  Frankfurt am Main, 20 December 2013
  event report

Policy statements and concepts