The John F. Kennedy Institute’s library holds the largest North American Studies collection in Germany, and the broad range of subjects represented at the library make it unique on the European continent. The library contains books, periodicals, audiovisual and electronic materials relating to North American Studies in the humanities and social sciences. Apart from its importance for the education and research at the JohnF.Kennedy Institute, the library also offers services to the Berlin/Brandenburg area, as well as American Studies departments in Germany and throughout Europe.

The library participates in the national inter-library loan service and thus makes its holdings available all over Germany and throughout Europe.

A grant program supports approximately 40 academics every year from all over Europe and the Middle East in their research at the library.

The holdings of the library include an extensive collection of books, newspapers, magazines, microfilms, records, videotapes, slides, and modern digital media. Today the library owns more than 780.000 media units, including more than 200.000 monographs and more than 500.000 microforms.