Realization
In 1989, the libraries currently responsible for the period 1450 - 1912 united to form the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sammlung Deutscher Drucke, with the goal of coordinating the collection of missing literature published in German-speaking countries. For five years, financial support was provided by the Volkswagen-Stiftung; since then the project has had to be financed through the funding bodies of the respective libraries.
The German National Library has participated in the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sammlung Deutscher Drucke since 1995 within the scope of its legally-defined acquisitions policy.
Whereas the libraries covering the periods up to 1912 add to their collections retrospectively, the German National Library is responsible for continuously acquiring current literature and cataloging it in the German national bibliography.
Experience has shown that the idea of a decentralized, chronologically subdivided collection has worked very well. The coordinated acquisitions policies combine with modern information and communications technology to further the growth of a virtual national library.
Historical Survey
Dr. Joachim Migl
