FAQ – Library Services during the Corona Pandemic

Corona Regulations, Hotline, Support

What Corona protection measures do I need to be aware of when visiting the library?

In order to protect the health of all, it is necessary that you observe infection control regulations and safety requirements when visiting our branch libraries. They include:

Keep at least 1.5 meters distance to other persons.
You are required to wear an FFP2 mask in the correct way during your entire stay.
Entering the library is only permitted after invitation by the staff.
Staying outside of marked traffic and work areas is prohibited.
Observe good respiratory hygiene (coughing or sneezing into the arm bend or a tissue).
Wash hands frequently with soap and disinfect hands regularly.
Access is not permitted in the case of a confirmed infection or symptoms of respiratory diseases.

By entering the library facilities, you agree to comply with the Terms of Use of the TUM University Library during the Corona Pandemic.

How can I get in touch with the University Library?

We are available for you even during lockdown times. Our First Level Hotline will help you with any question or problem.

You can reach us during regular service hours by phone, email, WhatsApp, or chat.

Borrowing, Returning, Media Reclaims

Can I apply for a library card or have it renewed?

You can apply for a library card or have your existing card renewed at the our branch libraries Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, or Weihenstephan during opening hours.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

StudentCard and PersonalCard as your library card
TUM members do not have to come to library. TUM students can self-activate their StudentCard in TUMonline, TUM employees please contact our media reclaim team.

Further information
All about the library card
Library number & password

Can I order books via the online catalogue OPAC?

You can order literature via our online catalogue OPAC to the branch library Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, and Weihenstephan and pick them up at the circulation desk during opening hours. Please also use this service for media from branch libraries that are still closed.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

E-Media
Please make use of our wide range of online media with priority: TUM members have access to more than 170,00 e-books, 72,000 e-journals and 2,300 databases.

How can I borrow books?

As of 25 January 2021, we will resume our loan services. Please order books you need in advance via our online catalog OPAC and pick them up at the branch libraries Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, or Weihenstephan during opening hours.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

Literature from closed branch libraries
You can also order literature from our temporarily closed libraries. We will transport those for you to our open branch libraries, where you can pick them up.

E-Media
Please make use of our wide range of online media with priority: TUM members have access to more than 170,00 e-books, 72,000 e-journals and 2,300 databases.

How can I pick up preordered books?

As of 25 January 2021, we will resume our loan services. Pre-ordered books can be picked up at our branch libraries Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, and Weihenstephan during opening hours.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

Can I have urgently needed literature shipped to my home address?

Book shipping is no longer available. We will resume our loan services on Monday, 25 January 2021. You can pre-order the literature you need via OPAC and pick it up at the branch libraries Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, and Weihenstephan during opening hours. Book returns are also possible in the four open branch libraries.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

How can I return borrowed books?

As of 25 January 2021, you can return borrowed items to our branch library Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, and Weihenstephan during the opening hours. It will also be possible to return books by mail.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

Literature from closed branch libraries
Please return borrowed items at the four open branch libraries, no matter in which branch library you originally checked them out.

Will there be fee-based media reclaims for overdue items?

Returning borrowed books is possible again from 25 January 2021 in the branch libraries Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, and Weihenstephan, no matter in which branch library you originally checked them out. You can also return books by mail.

Media reclaims are suspended from 19 December 2020 until 3 May 2021. There will be no charge for items whose loan period expires during this time.

Ongoing Reclaim Procedues and Outstanding Fees
However, media reclaim procedures already underway will remain valid. Fees can be paid via bank transfer using the billing code (BKZ). You will find the BKZ and bank details on your reclaim letter. Cash payment in our branch libraries is currently not possible.

If you have any questions, please contact our Media Reclaim Team: media.reclaim@ub.tum.de

Further Information
Renewing & Returning
Media Reclaim Fees

How can I pay charges now?

Fees can be paid via bank transfer indicating the billing code (BKZ) on the transfer form. You can find the BKZ and bank details on your reclaim letter.

Cash payment in our Branch Libraries is currently not possible.

If you have any questions, please contact our Media Reclaim Team: media.reclaim@ub.tum.de

Further Information
Renewing & Returning
Media Reclaim Fees

Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, Scan Service, Poster Prints

Can I use interlibrary loan?

Our interlibrary loan service is available again in the scope you are accustomed. You can order books and journal articles that are not available locally from libraries in other cities and communities.

Check-out and Prices
You can pick up your interlibrary loans at our branch libraries Main Campus, Mathematics & Informatics, Straubing, and Weihenstephan during opening hours. Borrowing books via interlibrary loan is free of charge. For copies of articles you pay an expense allowance of € 1.50.

Returning Interlibrary Loans
You can return interlibrary loan books during the opening hours at the circulation desks of the four open branch libraries, no matter in which branch library you originally checked them out.

Prerequisite is that you wear an FFP2 mask during your entire stay in the library and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres to other people.

Can I use dokumenTUM, the scan service of TUM?

For TUM members (students and staff), we offer our internal electronic document delivery service dokumenTUM.

You can order journal articles and parts from books that are available in our library collections. We will take care of the scanning and send you PDF files by e-mail. This service is free of charge.

E-Tutorial: How to use dokumenTUM – the TUM internal document delivery service

Does the University Library scan library materials for digital course reserves?

Yes, to support online teaching we offer all lecturers at TUM a scanning service for book chapters and journal articles from our library stocks. We provide the scans automatically in the digital course reserve of your Moodle course.

In addition, you can include yourself electronic media (e-books, articles from e-journals, or databases) from the University Library directly into your course reserve.

... and this is how you set up your digital semester catalogue: www.ub.tum.de/en/digisem

Can I pick up poster prints ordered from the LRZ to the Main Campus?

The LRZ has currently resumed its poster printing service with restrictions, but will close it completely on 31 March 2021. Printing takes place about once a week, so you should plan with a longer lead time.

Picking up ordered poster prints at our Branch Library Main Campus is currently not possible.

Further information:
LRZ Poster Printing Service

Studying Areas, Carrels, Lockers, Equipment

Are study areas in the library accessible?

From 15 March 2021, we will offer again study desks for TUM members in selected branch libraries. For this, reservations in advance are required.

Please note our binding regulations before you make your reservation. These include:

online booking until 12:00 midnight the day before
maximum 2 reservations per week
cancellation of all reservations in the event of overbooking
re-allocation of places not taken after 30 minutes
no free choice of seats
no group work
FFP2 masks compulsory during the entire stay
all details: www.ub.tum.de/en/reserve-study-desks

Reserve a study desk

Allocation of Free Places
Study desks not taken or reserved will be re-allocated on the reservation day 30 minutes after the start of the reservation period. Please ask for free places at the circulation desk. If a place is available, you must identify yourself with your TUM StudentCard / PersonalCard and provide your contact details.

Currently not available:

Group study rooms, carrels, and the TUM Speaker's Corner
Library computers, book scanners, and lockers
Access to reading room shelves and textbook collections: Please order required literature in advance via OPAC.

Can I reserve a carrel?

Unfortunately not, our carrels are not available until further notice.

Should you have used a carrel before the Corona Pandemic, please return the transponder as soon as possible. Please note the service hours at the circulation desks.

We have resume reclaiming overdue carrel transponders at a charge starting 13 July 2020.

Can I use a group study room?

Unfortunately, group work is not permitted until further notice. Hence our group study rooms are currently not open to the public.

Furthermore, the TUM Speaker's Corner, a room to practice presentations and speeches at the Branch Library Main Campus, is also not available

Are lockers currently available?

No, unfortunately, you cannot book library lockers until further notice.

If you used a locker before the Corona Pandemic, please clear it as soon as possible and return the locker key to us. Please note the service hours at the circulation desks. Keys from lockers in currently closed branch libraries can be returned at our open branch libraries.

Since 13 July 2020, we have been reclaiming borrowed locker keys at a charge.

Which library facilities are currently available?

For reasons of infection control, many of our devices, equipment and facilities are not yet available to you. Not available are:

Public computers in the reading room for OPAC searches or access to e-media
Standards Workstations (however, for TUM members remote access via eAccess is possible)
Access to reading room shelves and textbook collections (please order required literature via OPAC)
Book scanners
Lockers
Carrels
Group study rooms
TUM Speaker's Corner

E-Media, E-Learning, Remote Access

How can I use e-books from home?

We have more than 170,000 e-books online available for TUM members. You can find our entire collection in the OPAC. You can see whether a title is available as an e-book by the blue "Read online" button.

To access e-books for free of charge, you must first authenticate yourself via eAccess. Log in with your TUM ID and then search in the OPAC.

Further information
Terms of use and alternative access options
Bibs vs. virus – extended access to electronic resources

How can I use e-journals from home?

We make over 72,000 scientific journals available online to TUM members. To access full texts free of charge from home, you must first authenticate yourself with your TUM ID.

The easiest way to do this is via eAccess: Log in with your TUM ID, then search for journal titles in the Electronic Journals Library (EZB).

Further information
Terms of use and alternative access options
Bibs vs. virus – extended access to electronic resources

Can I access specialist databases and research portals from home?

The University Library offers TUM members over 2,300 online databases and search portals in which you can find references, scientific papers, statistics, company data, facts, articles from journals, newspapers, conference proceedings and much more.

To access these resources free of charge from home, you have to authenticate yourself as a TUM member. Depending on the database this can be done with your TUM ID via eAccess or institutional login (Shibboleth). Other databases require a personal registration.

Access information for each database and an overview of our portfolio can be found at: www.ub.tum.de/en/databases

Further information
Bibs vs. virus – extended access to electronic resources

Is there extended access to e-media available?

Many publishers are offering temporary access to their e-books, e-journals and databases due to the corona crisis. Some make their complete program freely available, others offer expanded access with an existing license or make parts of their publications related to Covid-19 accessible.

Since these are time-limited access options, you will not find these e-media via our OPAC, but on the page bibs vs. virus. Please log in via eAccess with your TUM ID.

Can I still attend courses at the university library?

Unfortunately, classroom courses are currently not available. However, the University Library offers you the possibility to attend all courses as webinars, some of them are also available as e-courses on Moodle. If you have sucessfully passed the corresponding e-tests, we will gladly send you a certificate of participation.

You can find our complete courses programme at: https://www.ub.tum.de/en/courses

If you have any questions, please contact workshop@ub.tum.de