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 2026-09-26T11:51:34Z in 0.204 seconds.

total:
1593
page:
0
size:
10
items:

10 results

  1. id:
    3405ea5218e1e5c7cfb31fd5df50be97
    urn:
    not reported by source
    title:
    High-Tech Trash : Glitch, Noise, and Aesthetic Failure
    creators:

    1 results

    1. Kane, Carolyn L.
    year:
    2019
    publisher:
    University of California Press
    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/3405ea5218e1e5c7cfb31fd5df50be97
  2. id:
    a062d246aca895f4fdb22323c42ef376
    urn:
    not reported by source
    title:
    Energy efficiency in Norwegian news media : a glitch in the discourse-as-usual
    creators:

    3 results

    1. Johansen, Jens Petter
    2. Fyhn, Håkon
    3. Røyrvik, Jens
    year:
    2020
    publisher:
    not reported by source
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. artikler
    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/a062d246aca895f4fdb22323c42ef376
  3. id:
    80d7661c357f607e84c08062d572c24e
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_pliktmonografi_000017126
    title:
    As Far as my Eyes can Sea - the Expedition Exhibition
    creators:

    9 results

    1. As Far as my Eyes can Sea - the Expedition Exhibition Arendal 2021
    2. Nyaas, Tone Lyngstad
    3. Skatvedt, Eli
    4. Hareide, Dag
    5. Scharnick, Janina
    6. Sølberg, Stine
    7. Aars, Emma
    8. Aslaksen, Åse Kamilla Spjelkavik
    9. Igland, Elin
    year:
    2021
    publisher:
    Bomuldsfabriken kunsthall
    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_pliktmonografi_000017126_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/80d7661c357f607e84c08062d572c24e
  4. id:
    be25295dab015cc842f1e1a1f0ab16f3
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_pliktmonografi_000017126
    title:
    As Far as my Eyes can Sea - The Expedition exhibition
    creators:

    9 results

    1. As Far as my Eyes can Sea - the Expedition Exhibition Arendal 2021
    2. Nyaas, Tone Lyngstad
    3. Skatvedt, Eli
    4. Hareide, Dag
    5. Scharnick, Janina
    6. Sølberg, Stine
    7. Aars, Emma
    8. Aslaksen, Åse Kamilla Spjelkavik
    9. Igland, Elin
    year:
    2021
    publisher:
    Bomuldsfabriken kunsthall
    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_pliktmonografi_000017126_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/be25295dab015cc842f1e1a1f0ab16f3
  5. id:
    18916ed6d614440b39457da6f39e3306
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_pliktmonografi_000044634
    title:
    Quality in the making : reimagining higher education as authorial practice
    creators:

    1 results

    1. Ermakova, Feodosiya P.
    year:
    2024
    publisher:
    University of Stavanger, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Media and Social Sciences
    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_pliktmonografi_000044634_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/18916ed6d614440b39457da6f39e3306
  6. id:
    ad51e8a63331b09b0bd5c6f2f7b26ba1
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2016120648593
    title:
    Aluminophosphate molecular sieves as potential catalysts for utilisation of natural gas
    creators:

    1 results

    1. Vinje, Kristin
    year:
    1994
    publisher:
    Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. bøker
    languages:

    1 results

    1. eng
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    bokhylla
    viewability:
    NONE
    access_allowed_from:
    NORWAY
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2016120648593_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/ad51e8a63331b09b0bd5c6f2f7b26ba1
  7. id:
    8f2ccd4775c099486c7a509701d5bbd1
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_pliktmonografi_000057597
    title:
    Life as User Experience : Designing Your Days According to Software Principles
    creators:

    1 results

    1. Berg-Stølen, André
    year:
    2025
    publisher:
    Berg-Stølen, André
    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_pliktmonografi_000057597_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/8f2ccd4775c099486c7a509701d5bbd1
  8. id:
    71c7cadecbef84fa47e4fa89db10575f
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2024022748076
    title:
    Structures in the stream : fishways as design interventions in grey ecologies
    creators:

    3 results

    1. Graesse, Malin Kristine
    2. Universitetet i Oslo Institutt for filosofi, idé- og kunsthistorie og klassiske språk
    3. Universitetet i Oslo Det humanistiske fakultet
    year:
    2022
    publisher:
    Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo
    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_2024022748076_C1/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/71c7cadecbef84fa47e4fa89db10575f
  9. id:
    92f7a96a0afe00e6d5246765855e5a88
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digiebok_8033
    title:
    Electronic literature as a model of creativity and innovation in practice : a report from the HERA joint research project
    creators:

    2 results

    1. Rettberg, Scott
    2. Baldwin, Sandy
    year:
    2014
    publisher:
    Center for Literary Computing
    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_digiebok_8033_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/92f7a96a0afe00e6d5246765855e5a88
  10. id:
    1b7ecc0357098e81874d40052acb3a37
    urn:
    URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2022022480161_005
    title:
    Blikk (trykt utg.). 2003 Nr. 5
    creators:
    not reported by source
    year:
    2003
    publisher:
    Blikk
    media_types:

    1 results

    1. tidsskrift
    languages:

    1 results

    1. nob
    county:
    not reported by source
    digital:
    yes
    public_domain:
    no
    license:
    ccbyncnd
    viewability:
    ALL
    access_allowed_from:
    EVERYWHERE
    thumbnail:
    https://www.nb.no/services/image/resolver/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2022022480161_005_0001/full/0,128/0/native.jpg
    viewer_url:
    https://www.nb.no/items/1b7ecc0357098e81874d40052acb3a37
limit:
25
offset:
0
returned:
10
has_more_results:
yes
truncated:
yes
next_offset:
10
Will you use the result in generated code?

Open the same result as JSON

Is data missing or incorrect? Send feedback about this result.

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.