During a three-year transition period (2013-2015), the previous DFG-funded special subject collections were transferred to the new "Discipline-Specific Information Services" funding programme.

Maintaining a special subject collection differs substantially from the tasks associated with a discipline-specific information service, since there are no longer any common standards in this area. The main concern for maintaining a discipline-specific information service is to examine the needs of specialist communities in detail in order to develop a suitable range of services. This objective assumes that as far as possible each discipline-specific information service should be distinctly – although not exclusively – related to certain subjects or specialist communities. In the "collection plan" for the expiring system for special subject collections such a relationship did not exist in every case, nor was it mandatory.

Further Information

• Evaluation of Special Subject Collections(interner Link) (in German only)
• Key Evaluation Points(Download) (in German only)
• Prognos Study “Evaluation of DFG-funded System of Special Subject Collections“(Download) (in German only)
• DFG Infobrief: Evaluation of Special Subject Collections(Download)
• Recommendations by the Expert Commission on the Evaluation of Special Subject Collections(Download) (in German only)
• Programme and minutes of the roundtable discussion "Regional or by subject matter? Advantages and disadvantages of different ways to organise the Discipline-Specific Information Services" (26 March 2014)(Download) (in German only)
• Collection Focus at German Libraries / WEBIS (SUB Hamburg)(externer Link) (in German only)
• Guidelines: Nationwide Library Services in Special Subject Collections(Download)