Library

The DFI Library, open to the public, is situated in the Film House in central Copenhagen. It is one of the world's leading research sources for film and television literature. Library subjects also include video, multimedia, virtual reality and digital games. The library holds an extensive collection of books and periodicals, a large archive of newspaper and magazine clippings, and a number of special collections.

A brief history

The DFI Library has a strong international presence, notably via the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). The foundation of the Library can be traced back to the 1940s: Bearing the name Dansk Kulturfilm, the Library was officially opened along with the Danish Film Museum in 1941. The core of the library was made up of collections of books and periodicals privately acquired by two Danish film critics, Frederik Schyberg and Ove Brusendorff, the latter the Film Museum's first director.

The Library, which is part of the Danish research library system, has been Denmarks leading library for film and television literature since 1964.

In 1972, the Library initiated an international cooperation project, International Indexes to Film & Television Periodicals. In 1977, the Library organised the FIAF Summer School for Documentation, drawing participants from 14 countries.

In 1996, the Library moved to its present location at the Cinematheque, Gothersgade 55 in central Copenhagen. The following year what used to be three different government organizations, the Danish Film Institute, the National Film Board of Denmark and the Danish Film Museum – were merged into the new Danish Film Institute, of which the Library is a department under the Museum and Cinematheque.