ABSTRACT
Directories in the collection of the Schweizerische Landesbibliothek form the basis of this directory bibliography. This library assumed the role of deposit library at the start of this century and has developed a comprehensive collection of directories published for settlements throughout each linguistic region of the country. Nevertheless, there were gaps in its coverage, particularly of late nineteenth century directories. These have been addressed by a second level of enquiry. Similar to the position described for Austria, in Switzerland large university and town collections function as de facto Canton collections. To identify outstanding directories in the French- and German-speaking regions the directory collections of major libraries in Canton capitals were recorded. Interestingly, the collections of libraries in this second level was spatially confined to their own Canton, with very few directories to be found dealing with towns in an adjacent area.
