FAQ – Library Services during the Corona Pandemic

In accordance with the Bavarian Infection Protection Measures Ordinance, all TUM branch libraries will be closed from 19 December 2020 until further notice, subject to further current developments. Information on currently available library services

Borrowing, Returning, Media Reclaims

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

During the current lockdown, our branch libraries will be closed from 19 December 2020 until further notice. It is therefore not possible to apply for a library card.

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 can contact our First Level Hotline.

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 of your choice and pick them up at the circulation desk during service hours after 1 February 2021.

Home Delivery
For TUM members we offer a shipping service for urgently needed literature.

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?

During the current lockdown, our branch libraries will be closed from 19 December 2020 until further notice. Borrowing literature on site is therefore currently not possible. Our services at the circulation desks are not expected to be available again until 1 February 2021.

Home Delivery
For TUM members we offer a shipping service for urgently needed literature.

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?

During the extended lockdown, our branch libraries will be closed from 19 December 2020 until further notice. It is therefore not possible to pick up pre-ordered books at the circulation desks. This is not expected to be possible until 1 February 2021.

For TUM members we offer a shipping service for urgently needed literature.

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

For urgently needed literature, we offer a shipping service within Germany for all TUM members between 19 December 2020 and presumably 31 January 2021 due to the current closure of all branch libraries. Upon request, we will check whether postal shipping is possible for the media you ordered via OPAC or Gateway Bayern.

How can I return borrowed books?

During the current corona lockdown, our branch libraries are closed. Book returns at the circulation desks are not possible from 19 December 2020 until further notice. However, you may return books by mail.

Media reclaims are suspended for the duration of the closure. There will be no charge for items whose loan period expires during this time.

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

During the current corona lockdown, our branch libraries are closed. Book returns at the circulation desks are not possible from 19 December 2020 until further notice. However, you may return books by mail.

Media reclaims are suspended for the duration of the closure. 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 before 19 December 2020 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?

During the extended lockdown, our branch libraries will be closed from 19 December 2020 until further notice. It is therefore not possible to pick up or return interlibrary loans.

For TUM members we offer a shipping service for urgently needed literature. Return by mail is also possible.

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 resumed its poster printing service with restrictions. 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. Please note the service hours of the LRZ Service Point.

Further information:
LRZ Poster Printing Service

Studying Areas, Carrels, Lockers, Equipment

Are study areas in the library accessible?

Our reading rooms will be closed from 16 December 2020 until further notice. Study desks are currently not available. Existing reservations will be cancelled.

Currently also not available:

Group study rooms, carrels and the TUM Speaker's Corner are not accessible until further notice.
Library computers, book scanners and lockers are also not available.
Access to reading room shelves and textbook collections is not possible. 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.

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