Using the Library

The main task of the library is to provide the Institute’s academic staff with information of all kinds. Moreover, the library is open to researchers from all around the world, who may use the facility as invited guests.

PhD students and students (a faculty member’s letter of reference is required) are allowed to use the library, too.

To register and for short visits to the library, please send an e-mail in advance to the following address: bibinfo@mpil.de. Alternatively, please use our registration form.

On the day of registration please bring your identity card or another valid identification document with you.

For general inquiries, please aso use the email address bibinfo@mpil.de.

Library users may use only the scanner area for research and scanning, even without a permanent workplace in the reading room.

Library staff are available for assistance (including registration):

New Registration at the Library is only possible within the service times until 15:00.

The library's reading rooms are open for usage:

The library equipment includes:

• 74 workplaces
• 4 research stations with PCs
• W-LAN network of the library, which is made accessible to guests under certain conditions.
• book scanner (USB stick required) and printers.

Members of the following three groups are able to access our licensed online resources on application: PhD students, post-doctoral students and researchers or scholarship holders of an academic institution

The library is a reference library, i.e. loans outside the Institute are excluded. The library is not participating in national or international interlibrary loan. Scans (carbon copies as an exception) from journals and monographs may be sent under adherence to the copyright law in force by our interlibrary loan.

Please send acquisition requests via this form to the Institute's library.

10 golden rules concerning the reading room

• The library is a reference library. It is not permitted to remove reference materials from the Institute.
• Please register your name in the guestbook before using the reading room.
• You may order 10 books per day, and you are allowed to have 30 books checked-out on your library account at one time or until the shelf assigned to you is completely occupied.
• Please store your books only on the shelf assigned to you.
• Please put your bags in the lockers of the library and don’t take them into the library. For jackets and coats please use the wardrobe.
• Eating and drinking is only allowed in the common room. It is permitted to take water into the reading room if the bottle is removed afterwards.
• It is necessary to remain quiet in the reading room.
• Please keep your reading place tidy and put your books back on the shelf assigned to you every day.
• Please inform the library if you want to finish your residence and return all your borrowed books.
• If you do not use the library for four weeks, the library reserves the right to empty your shelf and use it otherwise.