FAQ
© 2025 Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek
Hamburg, Carl von Ossietzky

Öffnungszeiten heute09.00 bis 24.00 Uhr alle Öffnungszeiten Leichte Sprache

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  • Research

      • In the Katalogplus you can find books and media that are in the Stabi, the specialist libraries and numerous other libraries in Hamburg. You can also find several million electronic documents there, which are sometimes free for you to access.
      • In the Common Union Catalogue (GVK) you can find the holdings of seven states in northern Germany, including Hamburg. Interlibrary loans can be ordered via the GVK.
      • The Electronic Journal Library gives you easy access to freely available and licensed electronic journals. Please note that part of this is only available to members of the library system via remote access.
      • The Database Info System gives you easy access to freely available and licensed databases. Please note that part of this is only available to members of the library system via remote access.

  • Tours

    • We will show you the Stabi in a presentation followed by a tour. You will get an initial insight into the following subjects: literature research in the Katalogplus, lending and reading rooms, information on the library card and other electronic services.

      You will learn something about the history and mission of the Stabi as Hamburg's largest academic general library. Tours generally take place on the first Wednesday of the month.

Library card

  • Lending

    • Lending

      The handbooks, reference works and journals in the reading rooms are freely available and can be used on site. You can take books in the textbook collection and books in the self-service area of the lending centre directly from the shelves and borrow them straight away.

      The majority of our collections are stored in closed stacks. Please place an online order via the  Katalogplus catalogue. Ordered books will be available to collect from the lending shelves of the Lending Centre from 10 a.m. the next working day and books from the depository library will be ready from 4 p.m. 

      Loan Periods

      Monographs: 4 weeks
      Journals: 2 weeks, can be borrowed from the reading room

      Extensions

      Monographs: max. 3 times for 4 weeks
      You can extend any loans yourself in your user account. A reserved book cannot be extended.

      Reservations

      If a book is out on loan, you can reserve it in the beluga catalogue.

      Book returns

      Books borrowed from the Stabi can be returned during opening hours. There are fines if the books are overdue. Please note: The University's specialist libraries have different lending regulations. 

      Interlibrary loans

      For online interlibrary loans you need a valid library card for the University of Hamburg library system and a fee-based interlibrary loan coupon (€1.50), which can be obtained from the Stabi. Delivery usually takes around two weeks. Please ask the information Centre for detailed information on interlibrary lending and the library.

  • Studying and working

    • The Stabi is a popular place for studying and working. There are almost 90,000 books waiting for you in three reading rooms – a reference collection for 50 academic disciplines with handbooks and textbooks, reference works, standard monographs and approx. 1,000 specialist journals.

      • We provide you with more than 900 different places to work, from individual cubicles to group workstations.
      • The over 160 PC workstations are also equipped in various ways: as well as pure research places, we also provide you with PCs with Office and other programs.
      • Students and members of the University of Hamburg have WLAN access throughout our establishment. Internet workspaces are also available for non-students/members..
      • Multifunctional devices (printers with copying function) are available in various locations in the library that can be used with a CopyCard. Scanners and colour printers can be found in the Information Centre and in the Multi-Media Centre.

  • About us

    • The Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library Hamburg (Stabi) is the largest academic library in Hamburg and serves as the central lending library for the University of Hamburg and the city's other higher education institutions, as well as being a general academic library for the citizens of the city and the metropolitan region. As a state library, it collects and archives publications published in Hamburg, as well as literature about Hamburg and the surrounding area.

      Founded in 1479, its special collections contain a valuable historical stock, including medieval manuscripts, literary remains and autographs, rare and old prints, musical scores and maps. Together with the university's specialist libraries it forms the library system of the University of Hamburg.

  • Contact

    • Information

      Postal address

      Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky
      Von-Melle-Park 3
      D- 20146 Hamburg

      This is how to find us.