This is a database of near-field head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) of an artificial head, measured at four distances (0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 m), with 49 positions recorded at each distance, for a total of 196 measurement points. The HRTFs were recorded using an acoustic pulse created by a laser-induced breakdown of air (LIB), which realizes a close to ideal, massless, monopole sound source. The repository contains the original measurement data (raw_data.zip), the derived HRTFs both with (NF_LIB_HRTF_LFE.sofa) and without (NF_LIB_HRTF_measured.sofa) a low-frequency extension (LFE) applied, as well as the MATLAB code used to process the measurement data and to apply the LFE (LIB_HRTF_DB.zip). The database is made publicly available to support future research into nearby sound localization, and virtual/augmented reality applications. Please see the accompanying paper for further details: Marschall et al. (2023), A database of near-field head-related transfer functions based on measurements with a laser spark source, Applied Acoustics.