DAB – The library for civil servants in The Black Diamond
The users of the library
The library is a special purpose library. DAB primarily serve state employees from e.g. ministries and government departments or agencies. Literature searches, documentation service, and loans from other libraries are all free to this user group. Our users may request the library service by visiting the library, by e-mailing (dab@kb.dk) or by phoning us (9132 4200). In opening hours we will respond to e-mails within the hour. Once a day the Library attendant delivers ordered literature to the central government users.
We also serve employees in other public institutions as well as private institutions and firms. However, we ask this user group to pay a fee for our services. Users in private institutions and firms will have to collect their material at the library.
The public including university students may also use the library and its facilities (e.g the study places situated in the library), but if they want to borrow books and periodicals for use outside the library, they have to order the material through their local public library or university library.
Collections
The main subjects for the library are those of law, public administration, economy, politics, statistics, management and various aspects of the development of society. Geographically we cover literature on Danish, other Scandinavian and European conditions. Literature concerning the European Union is covered to some extent.
Besides books and periodicals for lending, we dispose a law collection for use at the Library. The main contents are Danish bills, regulations and laws as well as EU acts, regulations and laws. The collections consist of books, reports, periodicals, periodical articles and databases. You may freely access the bookshelves and the library has copy machines available if needed.
The library is also obligated to collect publications issued by the Danish State. The publications are accessed through our database. Please search our collection here.
Home access
The Library also provide home access to a large collection of fulltext peer reviewed articles. The remote access to this vast amount of research litterature requires that you are registeres as a DAB user. If you prefer to search litterature in Google Scholar a small adjustment in your settings will allow you to see if DAB has paid for access to a particular article, and thus download it immediately. Find out how to set up google Scholar in this guide.
The short story of The Administrative Library
(DAB) was founded in 1924 as the Library for the Ministries of Labor and Social Affairs. In 1979, the library divided into two independent libraries by which The Administrative Library became part of The Ministry of Finance. The library now became the central library and documentation center for civil servants in the Danish central administration. In 1995, the Library transferred to The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Since January 2017, the library has been a part of The Ministry of Culture and at the same time, DAB merged with The Royal Danish Library.
DAB is situated in The Black Diamond
As a consequence of the merger with The Royal Danish Library, the Administrative Library (DAB) has moved to The Royal Library's premises in The Black Diamond.
You can find The Administrative Library in The Black Diamond on 4th floor. It is a large room, which allows DAB to offer room for studies and use of the collection.
Office hours
DAB service their users in person upon enquiry at the library in room 4th floor West in the Diamond and by mail (dab@kb.dk) and telephone (91324200) weekdays 9.30 AM – 4.00 PM except on closing days and days with short office hours.
Please notice that apart from this you have access to the room, the collection, and the study places working days 9.00 AM – 5.00 PM, Saturday and sundays are closed.
Staff
The library employs 5 staff members.
Regulations
Please find the regulations for The Administrative Library (The black Diamond, 4th floor) attached
