Lending & registration

All members of SRH University Heidelberg (student and staff) are entitled to borrow items from the library collections on presentation of a valid library card. The library is also open to the public. All new students have to register once for borrowing. For this purpose, please fill out the membership application form for the library and bring it already signed with you to avoid longer waiting times.  

Library card

Your student or staff ID card serves as your library card when borrowing an item for the first time. Your ID needs to be registered. You’ll need your ID card to borrow and renew items, and to check your account. Please keep your library card in a safe place; report any change of address to the library without delay; and notify us immediately if you lose your card so that your borrowing account can be blocked. Only then can misuse by third parties be prevented. The user registered as the borrower is liable for any damage resulting from the misuse of their library card by third parties.

User/borrowing account

To check your borrowing account, go to the catalogue, click on “Konto / Verlängerung” (Account / Renewal) and enter the number of your library card or university ID card, which serves as your account number. Your date of birth (DD.MM.YYYY) is your default password.

Loan periods & renewals

All of the library’s media, apart from reference books (“red dot”) and newspapers, can be borrowed. The loan period for books and audiovisual media (CDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, videos) is three weeks; items can be renewed up to five times – at the earliest one week before the loan period expires – for three weeks at a time. You can borrow journals for three days (no renewal option).

Books and journals stored in the stacks can be ordered at the circulation desk for use the next day.

Overdue fines

You’ll receive an overdue notice if an item is more than a week overdue. Overdue notices incur a charge. The fee is charged (for each item) as soon as an item is recorded as being overdue in the electronic lending system, rather than when the overdue notice is sent to you by email or post.

• First overdue notice: €1.00
• Second overdue notice: €3.00
• Third overdue notice: €7.00
• P&P: €60.00 per letter

Returns

Please return items undamaged to the library’s circulation desk before the due date. In exceptional cases, items may also be returned by post. The user is responsible for any items that may get lost or damaged in the post.

Reservations

If an item has already been taken out, you can reserve it at the circulation desk. You’ll be notified by letter as soon as you can collect the reserved item, which will be available for you to collect from the circulation desk for seven days.

Library Regulations & Rules relating to Fees

On the basis of the Federal State Higher Education Act (LHG), as amended on 14 July 2012 (Law Gazette 2012, p. 457ff), the Senate of SRH University Heidelberg adopted the following regulations on 8 October 2014:

Access control

• All staff and students of SRH University Heidelberg with a valid SmartCard (student or staff ID card) can access the library outside staffed opening hours.
• You may only enter and leave the library after authentication with your SmartCard at the card readers in the entrance area. It is forbidden for more than one person to enter on just one SmartCard, even if the other individuals have their own activation card.
• Please notify the library staff immediately if you lose your SmartCard so as to prevent misuse.
• Both access control data and CCTV recordings are stored and checked on a case-by-case basis if there is a strong suspicion of misuse.
• The emergency exits may only be used in an emergency. These exits are marked accordingly, alarmed, and fitted with CCTV. Please do not open an emergency exit unnecessarily because it will trigger an emergency alarm! Any costs resulting from improper use are the responsibility of the person who triggered the alarm.

Rules of conduct

• The library serves exclusively as a place to learn and work. Any other use is forbidden.
• Care should be taken not to disturb other users of the library. Smoking and alcohol consumption are prohibited in the library.
• Items may only be taken out of the library if you have borrowed them on your user account using the self-issue machine. If the self-issuing machine is not working properly and the items trigger an alarm at the exit, you cannot take them with you. Otherwise, this will be considered as theft and will result in disciplinary action.
• Items are also returned via the self-return machine.
• A photocopier/printer and a book scanner are available in the foyer for making copies from the reference collection and journals (not available for loan).

Any breach of the Library Regulations may result in an immediate and permanent ban!