Library framework of the University of Bonn

Bonn University and State Library and its interaction and co-operation with the decentralised libraries of the departments and faculties.

The central University Library has the sole responsibility for the provision of literature and information of the newly founded libraries, as of about 1970. Even though several Specialist Libraries spread throughout the campus exist, they are administered centrally and financed out of a joint budget.

University of Bonn, with a history of nearly 200 years in the area of literature supply, is organised in a two-tier manner. Apart from the USL, decentralised libraries exist. The departments and faculties are responsible for the supervision and organisation of these decentralised libraries.

The scope ranges from prestigious research libraries with over 100.000 volumes to small special libraries for the departments’ internal use. The USL is responsible for the supervision of the whole library system.

In order to ensure a good supply of information to university members by the interaction of the USL and decentralised libraries, the university inscribed a clear distribution of roles between the libraries as well as the continuous development of structures considering performance and efficiency on its banners. The tasks in detail are governed by the organisation and administrative rules.

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The USL

... Through systematic building up and constant maintenance of the collections, the USL forms the backbone of the universities' literature and information supply.
... has the central responsibility for licensing and the supply of digital information resources in the university network.
... supplies multiple textbooks for students.
... allows the usage of its own collections primarily through off-site loans, but also reader spaces in the reading room.
... archives media of value for future scientific work.

The libraries of faculties and departments

... present their collections freely accessible, arranged according to thematic contexts, and so enable the immediate access to literature search.
... are reference libraries with needs-oriented reader spaces