search

Search the National Library's catalog - books, newspapers, journals, photos, maps, music, manuscripts, radio/TV and more, both physical and digitized. Digitized text (OCR) is matched too by default, so a query can surface newspaper or book pages that mention a term even when it's not in the title.

Signature: search(q: string, required; media_type: string, optional, default None; language: string, optional, default None; county: string, optional, default None; year_from: integer, optional, default None; year_to: integer, optional, default None; digital_only: yes/no, optional, default False; sort: string, optional, default None; page: integer, optional, default 0; size: integer, optional, default 10; limit: integer, items, optional, default 25; offset: integer, items, optional, default 0)

Direct GET

For navigating agents: open the HTML page with parameters in the URL. The result is fetched and displayed without screenshots or form filling.

Open this validated HTML GET URL

https://allemannsdata.com/wiki/kilder/nasjonalbiblioteket/search/?q={q}&media_type={media_type}&language={language}&county={county}&year_from={year_from}&year_to={year_to}&digital_only=false&sort={sort}&page=0&size=10&limit=25&offset=0

Replace {q}, {media_type}, {language}, {county}, {year_from}, {year_to}, {digital_only}, {sort}, {page}, {size} with values. Remove unused optional parameters from the URL.

For software and dashboards: Read the operation descriptor. The JSON GET template is https://allemannsdata.com/wiki/api/v1/kilder/nasjonalbiblioteket/search?q={q}&media_type={media_type}&language={language}&county={county}&year_from={year_from}&year_to={year_to}&digital_only=false&sort={sort}&page=0&size=10&limit=25&offset=0. Open this exact request as JSON.

ParameterRequirementJSON typeDescription
qrequiredstringFree-text query. Supports field-restricted terms too, e.g. "subject:fiske year:1970" combined with free text.
media_typeoptionalunionRestrict to one type, e.g. aviser (newspapers), bøker (books), tidsskrift (journals), bilder (photos), musikk, kart (maps), film, plakater (posters), noter (sheet music), radio, fjernsyn. See get_aggregations(q="*", group_by="mediatype") for the full list with counts.
languageoptionalunionLanguage filter - values are inconsistent in the catalog (mixes codes like "nob" and labels like "Norsk bokmål"); check get_aggregations(q=q, group_by="languages") first if unsure.
countyoptionalunionNorwegian county name, e.g. "Troms", "Oslo".
year_fromoptionalunionRestrict to items published/issued in this year range (inclusive).
year_tooptionalunionRestrict to items published/issued in this year range (inclusive).
digital_onlyoptionalbooleanOnly items that have been digitized.
sortoptionalunionOne of date, title, otherid, firstDigitalContentTime, optionally suffixed ",desc" (default: relevance).
pageoptionalintegerZero-based page index.
sizeoptionalintegerResults per page, 1 to 100 (default 10).
limitoptionalintegerGateway page size; default 25, maximum 100.
offsetoptionalintegerNumber of list items to skip; default 0.
Generated JavaScript, Python and response structure

Use JSON when the user requests code, machine-readable data, value extraction or further computation. Use the HTML GET page to identify the correct source and verify parameters.

Example for generated JavaScript and Python

https://allemannsdata.com/wiki/api/v1/kilder/nasjonalbiblioteket/search?q={q}&media_type={media_type}&language={language}&county={county}&year_from={year_from}&year_to={year_to}&digital_only=false&sort={sort}&page=0&size=10&limit=25&offset=0

Replace URL placeholders and remove unused optional parameters.

JavaScript in a dashboard

const url = "https://allemannsdata.com/wiki/api/v1/kilder/nasjonalbiblioteket/search?q={q}&media_type={media_type}&language={language}&county={county}&year_from={year_from}&year_to={year_to}&digital_only=false&sort={sort}&page=0&size=10&limit=25&offset=0";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) {
  const failure = await response.json();
  throw new Error(`${failure.error.code}: ${failure.error.message} ${failure.suggestion}`);
}
const result = await response.json();
const data = result.data;

Python without additional packages

import json
from urllib.request import urlopen

url = "https://allemannsdata.com/wiki/api/v1/kilder/nasjonalbiblioteket/search?q={q}&media_type={media_type}&language={language}&county={county}&year_from={year_from}&year_to={year_to}&digital_only=false&sort={sort}&page=0&size=10&limit=25&offset=0"
with urlopen(url) as response:
    result = json.load(response)
data = result["data"]

Response structure

{
  "source": "nasjonalbiblioteket",
  "operation": "search",
  "parameters": {},
  "data": {},
  "entities": [],
  "_meta": {"retrieved_at": "...", "sources": [], "cache": {}},
  "_links": {"self": "...", "source": "...", "wiki": "...", "feedback": "..."}
}
Form for manual use

The form is a fallback for people and browser agents that cannot open the GET URL directly.

Type: string. Free-text query. Supports field-restricted terms too, e.g. "subject:fiske year:1970" combined with free text.
Type: string. Restrict to one type, e.g. aviser (newspapers), bøker (books), tidsskrift (journals), bilder (photos), musikk, kart (maps), film, plakater (posters), noter (sheet music), radio, fjernsyn. See get_aggregations(q="*", group_by="mediatype") for the full list with counts.
Type: string. Language filter - values are inconsistent in the catalog (mixes codes like "nob" and labels like "Norsk bokmål"); check get_aggregations(q=q, group_by="languages") first if unsure.
Type: string. Norwegian county name, e.g. "Troms", "Oslo".
Type: integer. Restrict to items published/issued in this year range (inclusive).
Type: integer. Restrict to items published/issued in this year range (inclusive).
Type: yes/no. Only items that have been digitized.
Type: string. One of date, title, otherid, firstDigitalContentTime, optionally suffixed ",desc" (default: relevance).
Type: integer. Zero-based page index.
Type: integer. Results per page, 1 to 100 (default 10).

Result

Source: National Library of Norway. Retrieved 2026-10-22T19:17:45Z in 0.314 seconds.

total:
8
page:
0
size:
25
items:

8 results

  1. id:
    455d5ca642db7399a73d622d5d0c2e6f
    urn:
    not reported by source
    title:
    Foreign seafarers remembered : foreign seamen killed in service of the Norwegian merchant fleet during the Second World War
    creators:

    3 results

    1. Rosendahl, Bjørn Tore
    2. EasyTranslate
    3. Michelet, Jon
    year:
    2015
    publisher:
    Stiftelsen Arkivet
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. eng
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    no
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NB
    thumbnail:
    not reported by source
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/455d5ca642db7399a73d622d5d0c2e6f
  2. id:
    ebb452017e83794f16f1fa5f459a646a
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2022063080050_003
    title:
    Kvinner sammen (trykt utg.). 2013 Nr. 3
    creators:

    3 results

    1. Tv-aksjonen Kvinner i den 3. verden
    2. FOKUS (Oslo)
    3. Senter for internasjonale kvinnespørsmål
    year:
    2013
    publisher:
    FOKUS
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. tidsskrift
    languages:

    3 results

    1. eng
    2. nob
    3. mul
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NB
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2022063080050_003_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/ebb452017e83794f16f1fa5f459a646a
  3. id:
    9f2c2966cf8ca2176ba4b527864e5072
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2025112607001
    title:
    Flett meg vakker : 45 steg-for-steg-forklaringer til nydelige hverdagsfrisyrer
    creators:

    2 results

    1. Smith, Abby
    2. Ridar, Simen R.
    year:
    2020
    publisher:
    Bonnier Publications International AS
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. nob
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NB
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2025112607001_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/9f2c2966cf8ca2176ba4b527864e5072
  4. id:
    43c5554e5f6e4a10e69df9652b1a6944
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2021060448637
    title:
    Flett meg vakker : 45 steg-for-steg-forklaringer til nydelige hverdagsfrisyrer
    creators:

    2 results

    1. Smith, Abby
    2. Ridar, Simen R.
    year:
    2021
    publisher:
    Bonnier Publications International
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. nob
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NB
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2021060448637_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/43c5554e5f6e4a10e69df9652b1a6944
  5. id:
    1be077418680d1fc5bab6733ff539890
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digavis_dagensnaeringsliv_null_null_20171012_128_236_1
    title:
    Dagens Næringsliv
    creators:
    not reported by source
    year:
    20171012
    publisher:
    not reported by source
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. aviser
    languages:

    1 results

    1. Norsk bokmål
    county:
    Oslo
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    LIBRARY
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digavis_dagensnaeringsliv_null_null_20171012_128_236_1-1_001_nyhet/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/1be077418680d1fc5bab6733ff539890
  6. id:
    05adef74b169ff1bc5e45a7a309a0b02
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020112748531
    title:
    Lessons from the Arctic : how Roald Amundsen won the race to the South Pole
    creators:

    2 results

    1. Kløver, Geir O. (Geir Olav)
    2. Frammuseet
    year:
    2017
    publisher:
    Fram Museum
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. nob
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NB
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020112748531_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/05adef74b169ff1bc5e45a7a309a0b02
  7. id:
    af335328ef2b3cf85f199aa8e431f165
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020110507762
    title:
    Tolking i offentlig sektor : et spørsmål om rettssikkerhet og likverd : utredning fra utvalg oppnevnt ved kongelig resolusjon 23. august 2013 : avgitt til Barne-, likestillings- og inkluderingsdepartementet 24. september 2014
    creators:

    1 results

    1. Norge Tolkeutvalget
    year:
    2014
    publisher:
    Departementenes sikkerhets- og serviceorganisasjon, Informasjonsforvaltning
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. nob
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    yes
    license:
    publicdomain
    viewability:
    ALL
    access_allowed_from:
    EVERYWHERE
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020110507762_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/af335328ef2b3cf85f199aa8e431f165
  8. id:
    ba19fb1f0e31bec5c4e08f6fa4f3d2b7
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2022072148107
    title:
    Concordia Ecclesiae : an inquiry into tension and coherence in Philipp Melanchthon's theology and efforts for ecclesiastical unity, especially in 1527-1530
    creators:

    1 results

    1. Andersen, Ragnar
    year:
    2016
    publisher:
    Lit
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. eng
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    copyrighted
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NB
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2022072148107_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/ba19fb1f0e31bec5c4e08f6fa4f3d2b7
limit:
25
offset:
0
returned:
8
has_more_results:
no
Will you use the result in generated code?

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Continue exploring

How an AI agent should use this page

Ground rule: Navigate with HTML GET links to keep explanations and relationships. Use the page's JSON alternative only when concrete values must be extracted, compared or computed.

How to use the search lookup

  1. Replace the placeholders in the HTML GET template; remove optional parameters you do not need.
  2. Check types, units, limits and ID formats in the parameter table.
  3. Follow linked results to canonical pages before combining sources.

Misreading to avoid: An empty list means "no results for this lookup". An error message or unavailable source does not mean the data does not exist.

Source-specific next step

Go to the source page for other operations. Use the JSON template only after the HTML result shows that the parameters and source are correct.