Studying and Working in the Main Library
Study spaces, video and working spaces, scanning stations, service PCs and group study pods—the library is a place to study and work that offers you a range of spaces kitted out with various features and equipment.
Workspaces and equipment
Looking for a quiet individual workspace in an atmosphere that’s conducive to concentration?
Over 300 of the available spaces can be reserved via our workspace booking system for University members.
You can use our map and the space number to locate your desk in the reading room. Most workspaces come with power points and network connections; please see the labeling on the map.
There are a handful of freely available spaces in the entrance area that can also be used by people from outside the University.
The Curtius reading room is on the third floor of the Main Library. Manuscripts and early printed books from the USL’s collections that were published in or before 1850 as well as all interlibrary loans published in or before 1900 can be consulted in this specialist reading room. You will also find a reference collection on the book trade and librarianship that runs to some 5,000 volumes.
The Curtius reading room can be used to consult historical and special collections and offers researchers a quiet place to work.
Please note that you will need to pre-book a space in the Curtius reading room. Reservations can only be made between 48 hours and seven days in advance.
Please use the booking system to reserve your slot.
If you would like to study together with a fellow student or join a videoconference, then why not use the “muttering zone” in our information center?
You are allowed to talk quietly and take part in videoconferences using a headset in its workspaces, most of which have power points and all of which can be reserved by users.
No space in your room at home for group work?
Students at the University of Bonn can book one of the information center’s three group study areas for up to six people.
Some of them have power points and network connections, and two are also equipped with big screens that can run SPrinT software.
University of Bonn students also have access to five study pods in the Lernraum+, each bookable for up to four people at a time.
SPrinT is a software that can be used on the large screens of the group study pods to work together on documents.
Need to find a shelf mark in bonnus, do some literature research in other catalogs and portals or access our licensed databases, e-books and e-periodicals?
Book one of our service PCs in the information center. You can also just turn up and use them if they are free.
Book one of our scanning stations in the information center to make digital copies of items that cannot be checked out. Pages up to size A2 can be scanned for free in color, grayscale or black-and-white and saved onto a USB flash drive.
There is also a microfilm scanner for scanning microfilms and microfiches.
Don’t forget to bring your own USB flash drive!
Contact
Main Library information desk
We will gladly answer your questions about the library and searching for literature: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm.