The library collects literature on public international law and foreign public law from all over the world and in all languages. The library has the status of a United Nations Depository Library since 1949 and is also a European Documentation Centre of the European Union.

The Library and Information Service (BIS) is the joint library for the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) and five institutes of the Center for Earth System Science and Sustainability. The cooperation with some university institutes regarding the library exists since the foundation of the MPI-M in 1975.

With a multi-lingual collection gathered from throughout the world, the library is a “Central Legal Library”, and possesses a comprehensive collection covering international commercial law, international private law and foreign civil law.

The Max Planck Institute is among the founders of the Munich Max Planck Campus for Legal and Economic Research

The Max Planck Institutes are founders of Munich Max Planck Campus for Legal and Economic Research