Borrowing

Use is subject to the Terms of Use for the Central Library, which are based on the terms of use for Kiel University Library.

All fees are based on the University Fee Rules for the University Library, in conjunction with the state regulations on fees payable at libraries of state universities. (BiblGebVO) (GVOBL.Schl.-H. 2001, p.180).

User Account

Your personal user account is at your disposal,

  • for CAU students once they have activated their CAU Card,
  • and for other users once they have obtained a user card.

 

Access to the user account in the catalogue is by entering

  • your complete user number (8 digits), (for CAU students: on the back of your CAU Card) and
  • your password (default is your date of birth: DDMMYY)

 

Contents of the user account

  • Personal data
    CAU students can update their data at Student Admission and Registry (Studierendenservice) or by themselves (HISinOne). Other users can update their data at the service counter.
  • Loans, renewals and reserving books
    An overview of your current loans with return deadlines and the number of renewals, as well as the reserved media.
    Borrowing volume: a maximum of 25 media (white shelf mark labels).
    Borrowing volume: a maximum of 10 textbooks (blue shelf mark labels).
    State examination candidates (Master's, Diplom) and research staff at the CAU can apply for a waiver of the restriction (web form), by providing reasons why this is necessary in writing. This does not affect the limit of 10 textbooks at the same time.
    The waiver is valid for the state examination period, but for no more than a year.
  • Reserved media
    Reservations and orders from the closed stacks which are ready for collection are available for you to collect for 5 working days. They restrict the allowable lending volume.
  • Charges due
    An overview of the outstanding payments (fees), which you have to pay in cash at the service counter.

Borrowing

Borrowing without a CAU Card/user card is not possible.

 

Most of the books and journals of the Central Library can be borrowed. Borrowing is limited to a maximum of 35 resources.

Volumes that are freely available in the open-stacks area - please take them from the shelf and check them out at one of the self-checkout terminals in the rear entrance lobby or in the exit area respectively.

Please order volumes from the closed stacks via the catalogue, and collect them at the service counter indicated when ordering, by presenting your user card.

For easy identification when borrowing, the shelf mark labels of our books and journals are colour-coded:

  • Books: white shelf mark label:
    28 day loan period, can be renewed up to 8 times, 2 reservations per book permitted, reminder 4 days before the end of the loan period
  • Textbooks: blue shelf mark label (multiple copies)
    28 day loan period, can be renewed up to 8 times, 1 reservation per book permitted, reminder 4 days before the end of the loan period
  • Journals: white shelf mark label
    14 day loan period, can be renewed up to 8 times, 2 reservations per edition permitted, reminder 4 days before the end of the loan period
  • Books: yellow shelf mark label
    Reference items: cannot be borrowed
    Exception: inside the book cover it says: "short loan". Borrowing is possible over the closed Sundays in August and September and bank holidays. Start of the loan: 2 hours before closing time on the day before, until the day after at 9:30am.

Self-checkouts

Location of the self-checkout terminals
Our self-checkout terminals can be found in the rear entrance lobby and in the exit area respectively.

Borrowing procedure
Please take your books from the open stacks area shelves and check them out at our self-checkout terminals yourself. You no longer need to report to our Service Counter to have them checked out there. However, please continue to return them at our Service Counter.

Self-checkout terminal use
Please place your CAU-Card or user card on the red line generated by the scanner on the table until your user number is read. Then place your books on the grey checkout area. You do not need to open the books and may place them in a slightly fanned out stack of up to 5 books on the checkout area.

Display information
Once you have successfully checked out your books, please find the following information on the display: checkout number, title, loan period, successful checkout confirmation. You are now lfree to leave the building with your books. Books that could not be checked out are displayed in a conspicuous colour with a corresponding message. These are, for example, books belonging to non-lending collections. In these cases, please contact our Service Counter.

Returning Borrowed Items

Return of media is possible up to 15 minutes before the library closes. You can collect and return your orders and loans in the Central Library, the Medical Department and the Engineering Library.

In the Central Library, the service counter closes 15 minutes before the end of the opening times.

In exceptional cases, you can also return your media by post to the Central Library's address, at your own risk.

Loan Periods

The loan period for books (white and blue shelf mark labels) is 28 days and 14 days for bound journals.

A borrowed volume can be extended (see Renewals) or reserved (see Reserving items).

Please check your current loan periods in your user account.

Renewals

You can extend the use of your borrowed media up to 8 times, each by a loan period.

Renewing items yourself:
You can renew items yourself using the catalogue. To do this, you will need your access data for the library: your user number and personal password. Select the menu item data in the catalogue, and follow the instructions on the screen.

A new loan period starts from the date of renewal. The current loan period ends immediately, even if it has not yet expired.

Afterwards, please check your new loan periods in your user account.

Unable to renew your item?

  • The book has already been reserved by someone else. Please return the book by the deadline at the latest.
  • The loan period has been exceeded. Renewal is only possible at the service counter, on presentation of the borrowed media.
  • Fines have been recorded in your account. Renewal is only possible at the service countercounter, after payment of the fines due and on presentation of the borrowed media.
  • The 8th loan period has expired. Renewal is only possible at the service counter, on presentation of the borrowed media.

Reserving Items

You can reserve media that is currently out on loan.

  • Two reservations are permitted per book (white shelf mark labels).
  • One reservation is permitted per textbook (blue shelf mark labels).
  • A maximum of 10 reservations are permitted per user account.


Search for the desired title in the catalogue. Go to the full view of the title, and click on Reserve. After entering your user number and your password, you will be able to reserve the title.

To reserve a textbook, find the desired title in the catalogue, go to the full view and click on the text: "Volume list". On the list of all existing copies of the textbook, select the copy with the earliest return date for reservation.

You will receive a notification via e-mail with details of the collection location as soon as the reserved book has been returned.

Notification

The Central Library sends notifications via e-mail to all users.

CAU students

We always use the e-mail address of your stu-account.
You cannot delete this e-mail address, or stop notifications being sent there.

We also save a private e-mail address, if you have specified one at Student Admission and Registry (Studierendenservice). If there are two e-mail addresses linked to your library account, you will receive our automated messages at both e-mail addresses.

Non-CAU students

Please provide us with the e-mail address of your choice at one of our circulation desks.

You have not received any e-mails?

Please check the e-mail address entered in the catalogue, in the Address field in the User Data/Personal Details section of your user account. 

  1. CAU students can have corrections made at Student Admission and Registry (Studierendenservice), or make corrections themselves using HISinOne.
  2. Other users can have corrections made at one of our circulation desks.
  3. Please check your e-mail inbox on a regular basis.

If you have not registered an e-mail address with the University Library, or if we are not able to deliver e-mail to you, then you will receive all notifications by post. You are responsible for reimbursing the resulting fees and costs.

Collection Locations for Orders and Reservations

self-checkouts:

  • Borrowable media: You have 5 working days' time to collect your item.

 

service counter

  • Media between 1801 and 1900:
    You have 5 working days to view the item for the first time. Issue only for use on the premises of the Central Library.
  • Old holdings before 1801 and special holdings:
    Please make an appointment to use these stocks by e-mail: altbestand@ub.uni-kiel.de
  • Microfilms, microfiches:
    You have 5 working days to view them for the first time. A reader printer is available for reading and copying/scanning/saving the microforms to a USB stick. Please make an appointment to use it at the service counter Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm.
  • Media from interlibrary loan:
    We keep media from other libraries available at the service counter for 5 days on the condition that they can only be viewed under supervision. Please make an appointment to use these items by sending an e-mail to: altbestand@ub.uni-kiel.de

Reminders & Fines

  • We usually send you a reminder, free of charge, 4 days before the expiry of the loan period for all books, textbooks, journals and books from the interlibrary loan service.
  • At the latest on receipt of a reminder, please check whether you can extend your loans or return your borrowed items on time.
  • On expiry of the loan periods, overdue fines for each item for which you received a reminder will become due and entered as a charge owed on your charge account. (University Fee Rules for the University Library).
  • Fees must be paid and prepaid postage refunded immediately.
  • You can only pay for outstanding charges with cash at the service counter.

Damage to and Loss of Items

  • If you have damaged or lost an item, please come to the service counter.
  • Here, after explaining the situation, you will receive a form to report the damage or loss.
  • What happens next in that particular case will be discussed.