The Library’s collection covers both public and private international law, foreign law, comparative law, and war and peace issues. Our Collection Profile provides a detailed overview of the topics that are selected. The Library is primarily focused on building collections that meet the information needs of our Users in a timely and economical manner using information resources locally held, as well as from external suppliers.
Main Collection
The main part of our collection is searchable through the Catalogue. You will find books, multi-part works, serial publications, journals, articles, essays, and documents, both in physical and electronic format. Additionally, the collection includes reels of microform and pieces of microfiche. With approximately 1.5 million records, the Library’s collection of primary and secondary sources constitutes a rich and comprehensive collection of international law. On average, the collection grows annually by 30,000 records.
In recent years the impact of digital technology on libraries has been significant. The Peace Palace Library has not been indifferent to this development. We have evolved into a hybrid library environment of both electronic and print, to different degrees in different parts of our collection. The Library as a physical space will change considerably. This library model will remain dominant for the coming years.
Licensed Databases
The Digital Library consists of digital content that is accessed remotely under license agreements. We have subscriptions to online e-book platforms and legal databases covering all areas of international law. Library Users have access to this digital content from inside the Library's Reading Room. In most cases, no login is required, but sometimes you need a username and password, which you can get from the Service Desk. Remote access is also granted with your Library Membership.
For a complete overview, please click on the general overview page of our Licensed Databases. Please be aware of the fact that the Library is not always subscribed to all materials or sub-collections offered on the website of the supplier. This means you will not always be able to see the fulltext of everything in your general search results.
PPL Databases (CONTENTdm)
The PPL Databases are locally stored and provide free, public access to the digitized and digital born collections of the Peace Palace Library. CONTENTdm is our digital collection management system consisting of a server on which content is stored, a web-based content discovery interface and tools to upload and manage the content. PPL Databases is continuously enriched with new content and new functionality. Please note that materials in copyright may have access restrictions.
You can find the Terms and Conditions for Online Content here.