Circulation & Library Account

General Information

The Library’s collections are freely accessible in the central library’s reading rooms and stacks as well as at other library locations.

Books

The Library uses a classified shelving system according to subject fields: shelf classification

Journals

Back volumes are shelved in consecutive numerical order according to the call number, unlike the latest journal issues which are shelved in alphabetical order according to the journal title. Both bound and unbound journals do not circulate.

To check out books, please retrieve items from the shelves and present them along with your library ID (chip card) at the Circulation Desk. Remember that journals as well as books marked with white or red tape (e.g. standard works, handbooks, and reference books) do not circulate. There are photocopiers located throughout the Library. If you are looking for audio-visual material, ask the library staff at the Circulation Desk.

The loan period for books and doctoral theses is one month. During this time, the book is on loan to you without any restrictions. Overdue reminders via e-mail are available upon request. You may renew books for an additional four weeks. Further renewals are permitted, provided that another user has not placed a hold on the item. In exceptional cases, the Library may issue a recall for a renewed item and shorten the loan period.

Book request

To place a request for a book, an article, or an audio-visual item, visit our online catalog. If a book is checked out, you can place a hold on this item, which must be returned by the due date. You may also request items from other kiz library locations including library materials which are a part of a reserve collection (Handapparat).

Book renewal

To renew online, go to our online catalog and click on the "MY Account” button or fill out the renewal request form. You may also renew items by phone. Just contact the Central Circulation Desk or one of the other kiz library locations.

Circulation policies

Textbook collection:  The Library maintains multiple copies of heavily used textbooks. The collection comprises approximately 36,000 volumes covering the areas of natural science, engineering, computer science, economics, medicine, dentistry, and mathematics. The textbook collection is open to all patrons. Normal loan conditions apply with one exception: one copy of the latest edition of each textbook is for reference only.

Course reserves: At the beginning of each semester, instructors may have library materials set aside for student use during the semester. These items, which are marked with the instructors name or the course topic, do not circulate as long as they are on reserve.

New acquisitions are put on display in the new acquisitions shelves for seven days. During this time they do not circulate.