FAQ – Frequently asked questions

- Before your first visit to the library
- Registration, reader pass
- Ordering and reserving books
- Collecting books
- Returning books and extension of loan term
- Using the reading rooms
- Lockers, reading room cubicles
- Fees
- Scanning, printing, copying
- Use of E-media
- Courses
- Suggestions for acquisitions and book donations
- For users with handicaps
Before your first visit to the library
How does the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek work? → E-Tutorial (in German)
Can I visit the library today and borrow books (or media) immediately?
No, it is not possible to borrow items immediately. The books and media of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek are kept almost completely in external stacks (= storerooms). It is consequently required to search the desired media in our catalogue (= OPACplus/BSB catalogue) first and to order them for loan. Counting from the order date, it takes around 2 to 3 working days until the books are available to you in the library.
OPACplus/BSB catalogue
A small part of our holdings, primarily basic literature on the various subject areas, is shelved in our reading rooms. You can consult these books on our premises or scan pages from them. However, these books cannot be borrowed for taking them home.
Reading rooms
What is the OPAC (BSB catalogue)?
"OPAC" stands for "Online Public Access Catalogue" and is used to register library holdings.
Our OPAC (BSB catalogue) contains entries for almost the complete holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, also comprising databases, e-books, journals and newspapers. Please note: The BSB catalogue does not contain entries for individual journal articles. The OPACplus/BSB catalogue is used for ordering books and media for home loan or loan to one of the reading rooms. A reader pass is required for this purpose.
OPACplus/BSB catalogue
I don't have a reader pass yet. Can I already pre-order books from home despite this?
The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek continues to offer a preliminary simplified registration for the time being to provide you with the possibility, also without having to come to the library in person, to obtain a user ID enabling you to use digital services and e-media services which are not freely accessible (exclusively for users of legal age, of at least 18 years and having a registered place of residence in Germany).
Details of the procedure and required documents
Registration, reader pass
How do I register for a reader pass?
- To register for a reader pass, you must apply in person, presenting a valid personal identification card (alternatively your passport and a confirmation of place of residence by your municipality, so-called "Meldebestätigung").
- Persons who are of full age and have a registered place of residence in Germany can usually borrow books and media from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek for consultation at home (for scholarly purposes, professional work or further education).
- Persons who are of full age, but do not have a registered place of residence in Germany will receive a reader pass permitting them to borrow books and media for use in the reading rooms. In this case it is not possible to borrow books and media for home loan.
- Preliminary simplified registration
The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek continues to offer a preliminary simplified registration for the time being to provide you with the possibility, also without having to come to the library in person, to obtain a user ID enabling you to use digital services and e-media services which are not freely accessible (exclusively for users of legal age, of at least 18 years and having a registered place of residence in Germany).
Details of the procedure and required documents
- Secondary-school students of at least 18 years can obtain a reader pass under standard registration conditions. By submitting a valid student ID or valid confirmation by the school, they can obtain a reader pass with additional conditions for students.
- Secondary school students from 16 to 18 years are kindly asked to present in addition a valid student identity card or a confirmation by their school and a letter of commitment signed by their parents and the personal identification card or photocopy of the identification card of the parent or legal guardian who signed the letter of commitment.
Further information on registration for secondary-school students
- Students and employees of the LMU Munich receive their reader passes in connection with the LMUcard. This reader pass can be used at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek as well immediately after its validation.
Further information on the website of the University Library of the LMU - Students of other universities and colleges please additionally present your valid student identification card or confirmation of enrolment for the purpose of registration at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.
I have forgotten my password. Can you reset it?
Upon registration, your date of birth is entered as password in the form of six digits (DDMMYY). In case you have changed and forgotten your password, it can be reset to the default password of your date of birth. There are two options to have your password reset:
- You can come to the registration office in person, bringing your reader pass and a valid official personal identity card with you.
Opening hours of the registration office - You can phone the Ortsleihe (local lending service; phone: +49 89 28638-2412, Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00). Please have your user number at hand when calling us. This telephone service can be used exclusively by the holder of the reader pass in person.
I have lost my reader pass. What do I have to do now?
As a first measure, we can lock your reader pass to prevent misuse. Please inform us about the loss of your reader pass either by sending a message to the local lending service via the online information service, calling us at +49 89 28638-2412 or by coming to the registration office in person.
Online inquiry service
We can issue a replacement reader pass to you at a charge.
My reader pass has expired. How can I extend its validity?
- In case you have obtained a reader pass as a school student, your reader pass is usually limited to the duration of your time in school (the period of validity is usually 2 years). If your school attendance is prolonged, your reader pass can be extended upon presentation of the current student identification card. In case you have become an apprentice, university or college student or have started working in the meantime, you need to obtain a new reader pass.
- Students of the LMU receive a library reader pass in connection with the LMUcard, which pass can be used immediately at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek after its validation.
Further information on the website of the University Library of the LMU
Questions (e.g. on validity extensions) with respect to all reader passes issued by the University Library of the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (e.g. for employees, postgraduate students, institutes and faculties), need to be directed to:
benutzung@ub.uni-muenchen.de - As a student of TU Munich your reader pass is valid for a term of respectively one semester. Your reader pass can be extended after the start of the new semester. Please present your current student identification card for this purpose.
- As a student of a different university or college, please contact the registration office of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. You can obtain a new reader pass upon presentation of your personal identification card (or passport and a confirmation of place of residence by your municipality, so-called "Meldebescheinigung").
- As a de-registered student of LMU please obtain a new reader pass at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. However, in case you are employed by the LMU after finishing your studies, you receive your reader pass in connection with the LMUcard.
- As an apprentice or working person please contact the registration office of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, presenting your valid personal identification card (or passport and a confirmation of place of residence by your municipality, so-called "Meldebescheinigung").
- In all other cases, please contact the team of the Local Lending Service by telephone or e-mail.
Phone +49 89 28638-2412 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 17:00)
information@bsb-muenchen.de
Or come to the registration desk on the ground floor in person. Please come during the opening hours of the Local Lending Service and bring the required documents.
Opening hours of the registration desk
Ordering and reserving books
How can I loan a book? → E-Tutorial (in German)
I do not need an ordered book any longer. Can I cancel the order?
For organisational and technical reasons it is not possible to cancel an order.
In the case that you do not collect a book ordered for home lending, it will be removed from the shelf and returned to the stacks (storeroom) after 10 working days counting from the order date. Working days are Monday through Friday. Whenever possible, please collect the book nevertheless and return it directly subsequently at the book return counter on the ground floor. This saves our employees a lot of work and time, and the book will also be available to other readers more quickly.
What is the difference between "Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)" (Book loan ground floor (extramural loan)) and "Leihe nur in den Allgemeinen Lesesaal" (intramural loan only)?
All books ordered for "Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)" can be collected around 2 to 3 working days after the order date at the book issue counter (Buchausgabe) of the local lending service (Ortsleihe) on the ground floor. You can take these books home for the duration of the loan term.
All books ordered for "Leihe nur in den Allgemeinen Lesesaal" can be collected around 2 to 3 working days after the order date in the collection area of the General Reading Room. You can find your orders on the shelf below the number that is printed in bold print on your reader pass. The books are already booked for you, i.e. borrowed in your name. During the loan term, you can use the books only in the General Reading Room and/or produce scans from it. For further use, please return the literature to the shelf with your number. If you no longer need a book, please take it to the depot in the marble hall.
Why can I borrow some books only for consultation in the reading room, but cannot take them home?
The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek is Bavaria's archival library. This means that the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek archives all books published in Bavaria and preserves them for future generations. To fulfil this commitment, these books should stay in good condition. When books are issued for home loan, loss or damage of the books cannot be ruled out. For this reason, books that are difficult to replace are provided for use on our premises (reading room) exclusively. Moreover, the following parts of our holdings cannot be borrowed for home loan – predominantly for reasons of conservation: Old holdings, particularly valuable works or works worthy of protection, loose-leaf editions, pictorial books, bound volumes of newspapers and periodicals, large-format volumes.
I have erroneously ordered a book for "Leihe nur in den Allgemeinen Lesesaal" (intramural loan only). Can I change the place of issue to "Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)" (home loan) retrospectively?
It is possible to change a once chosen place of issue retrospectively in exceptional cases. Books that are generally provided for intramural loan only cannot be re-booked for home loan. In cases where home loan is possible in principle, the procedure is as follows: Please collect the literature from the self-collection area of the reading room. Then take the books to the service desk 1 in front of the entrance to the reading room. The staff there will decide whether re-booking is possible and will do so where applicable.
Opening hours of the service desk 1:
Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00
Can I reconstruct which books I have ordered and borrowed in the past?
For reasons of data protection we store your order and loan data only for the duration of the respective current loan procedure. The memo list function in the OPACplus/BSB catalogue offers you an option to store potentially interesting literature permanently.
When can I collect a reserved book?
The current borrower has a guaranteed loan period of 4 weeks. In the case that the loan period has already been extended, the borrower is notified that the book must be returned within 10 days. In any case, you will receive a notification by e-mail or mail as soon as the book has been returned.
I am working on an academic thesis. Can the maximum number of books that I can order/borrow be raised?
Please contact the registration office on the ground floor or the service desk 1 in the marble hall to request an increase. For this purpose we require a current confirmation of your scholarly work (bachelor/master thesis, dissertation, etc.), for example issued by the university chair or the examining authority in charge.
How do I order literature by interlibrary loan? → E-Tutorial (in German)
How do I order literature by interlibrary loan?
Scholarly literature that is not available in any library in Munich can be ordered from other German (or international) libraries via interlibrary loan. This is applicable to books as well as copies of parts of books and copies of journal articles. Interlibrary loan orders can be made via OPACplus/Verbundkatalog/Fernleihe (OPACplus/Union catalogue/Interlibrary loan), using the Gateway Bayern. It takes around 1 to 3 weeks for the books or article copies to arrive. You will be notified by us in writing by mail or e-mail as soon as the ordered books or copies are available to you.
Please note: Students and members of the Munich universities and colleges are required to place interlibrary loan orders via their university/college library. They are not entitled to place interlibrary loan requests at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.
Comprehensive information about the interlibrary loan procedure
Will the interlibrary loan fee of € 1,50 be cancelled in the case that my request cannot not be fulfilled?
The fee in the amount of € 1,50 is a pure handling charge that has to be paid in any case, also when your interlibrary loan request could not be fulfilled.
Collecting books
How long does it take until an ordered book is ready for collection?
Upon each order in the OPACplus/BSB catalogue an anticipated collection date is displayed. This date is usually calculated with a tolerance. It normally takes 2 to 3 working days until the book is ready for collection.
The status of my ordered books is still "bestellt" ("ordered"). When can I collect them?
The status will change to "abholbar bis tt.mm.jjjj" ("collectable until dd.mm.yyyy") as soon as the books are ready for collection in the book collection area on the ground floor.
Exceptions: In the case of reservations and the arrival of items ordered by interlibrary loan request, the status changes from "bestellt" ("ordered") to "abholbar" ("collectable") and you will receive a notification indicating when the book is made available for collection.
Will I be notified as soon as ordered books are available?
When you have ordered items for home loan ("Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)"), you will be notified by e-mail as soon as the ordered book is available for collection at the book collection counter on the ground floor. This can frequently occur before the initially estimated time of provision. The status of the items in your user account will change to "abholbar bis tt.mm.jjjj" ("collectable until dd.mm.yyyy"). We also inform you by e-mail about reserved books ready for collection and about interlibrary loan items that have arrived for you.
To use this service, a current e-mail address must be stored in your user account.
Please note that no notification is sent by e-mail about items ordered for use in the reading rooms.
How much time do I have to collect an ordered book? Can the collection deadline be extended?
An order for home loan remains stored in the computer system for 10 working days. Working days are Monday through Friday. Afterwards the order of the book will be cancelled and the book will be removed and returned to the stacks (storeroom). This means that you have usually 2 weeks to collect the book, counting from the order date. This collection deadline cannot be extended for technical reasons.
Please note: You can also have a third person collect the book for you. For this purpose, this authorized person must present your reader pass.
An order for the General Reading Room will be booked directly, i.e. the book is already registered in your name as a loan. It is at your disposal until the end of the loan period in the self-collection area of the General Reading Room.
Can you send my ordered book to me?
Books that were ordered for home loan can be sent to you (within Germany) by the book delivery to your address. Please fill in an extra form for each desired order (up to 3 media) and send us the form in question preferably as an e-mail attachment or by mail or facsimile. We will invoice € 9.00 shipping charges per order and the return consignment will be at your own expense.
Information on book delivery to your address and order form
I have ordered a book for use in the General Reading Room. Where can I collect it?
You can find your book in the book collection area of the reading room on the shelf below the number that is printed in bold print on your reader pass (at the bottom right). There you can deposit your loans for further use.
Please note: It is required to register in advance for each visit to a reading room.
Booking a working place in a reading room
How long can I keep the books?
The loan period is usually 4 weeks. (There are some exceptions, for example bound journal volumes for the reading room. Here, the loan period is 2 weeks.) The exact end of the loan period is printed on the enclosed order slip and can also be looked up in your user account in the OPACplus.
User account
Returning books and extension of loan term
I cannot meet the deadline for returning borrowed books. What can I do?
- Is an extension of the loan period possible?
Extension of loan period - Can a third person return the book(s) for you? Your reader pass is not required for this purpose.
- Can you return the book by post, so that it will arrive at the library still within the loan term?
Returning borrowed items by post - In the case that you cannot meet the return deadline due to illness, reminder fees can be cancelled upon presentation of a medical certificate. (A certificate of incapacity for work or sick note is insufficient.) Please note: The fee for a medical certificate can possibly be higher than the reminder fee.
I have fully used the two extensions of the loan term, but I still need a book for a longer time. What can I do?
When you have extended the loan term for a book already twice, you can ask for a one-time new loan in exceptional cases. This is possible 5 calendar days before the end of the loan term at the earliest. For this purpose please present the book in question at the return counter on the ground floor. A new loan is possible under the following conditions: There is no reservation for the book. You have been reminded to return the book once at most. If so, the reminder fee must have been settled. The maximum admissible number of books at the same time is 5.
What happens if I do not return a book in time?
If you overrun the loan period, you must expect to be reminded immediately. Reminders are not issued per book, but per return deadline that has not been met. You will thus receive only one reminder, even if the loan terms of several books have had the same expiry date. The reminders are automatically generated by our system at regular intervals. Please note: The individual reminder fees fall due separately, i.e. a second reminder does not include the fee of the prior first reminder, but the two reminder fees are added. The reminder procedure is stopped only by returning the book for which the loan period has been exceeded.
Comprehensive information about reminder fees
In case you have any questions concerning your reminder fees, please contact:
mahnwesen@bsb-muenchen.de
Can I send back borrowed books by mail?
Yes, please send the books to the following address:
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
Ortsleihe
Ludwigstrasse 16
80539 Munich
Please note:
- You are liable for the possible loss or damage of the book.
We recommend sending the books as an insured parcel or by registered mail, not as a shipment of printed paper at reduced rate (Büchersendung). - Please also make sure that the books are protected by suitably sturdy packaging.
- The costs of the return shipment are at your expense.
- Freight collect shipments will not be accepted.
I have extended the loan period (or returned the book), but I have received a reminder nevertheless. What should I do?
Please contact us
- by sending an e-mail to: mahnwesen@bsb.muenchen.de, stating your user number
- or phone the local lending counter (+49 89 28638-2412)
- or come to the registration office in person
I have damaged or lost a borrowed book. Who do I inform about this?
Please contact:
By telephone (lost books): +49 173 2753023 (Mr. Christian Einsiedel)
By telephone (damaged books): +49 89 28638-2420 (Ms. Irene Fichtel)
By e-mail: buchersatz@bsb-muenchen.de
Using the reading rooms
How can I use the reading rooms?
It is required to register in advance for each visit to a reading room.
Reservations can be made for the General Reading Room and the Periodicals Reading Room for maximally 5 dates (as of 16 May 2023: maximally 3 dates) at a time and at the most 7 days in advance. The number of possible reservations applies to the General Reading Room and the Periodicals Reading Room together.
For the research reading rooms, a maximum of 3 dates can be booked at the same time and at the most 10 days in advance.
Further information on booking a working place in a reading room
For making a reservation, you need your reader pass or user number and your e-mail address. In case you do not yet have a reader pass, please go to the registration office (Anmeldestelle) on the ground floor of the library. It is still also possible to avail yourself of the simplified registration process.
Information on user registration on site
Information on the preliminary simplified registration
What is the difference between "Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)" (Book loan ground floor (extramural loan)) and "Leihe nur in den Allgemeinen Lesesaal" (intramural loan only)?
All books ordered for "Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)" can be collected around 2 to 3 working days after the order date at the book issue counter (Buchausgabe) of the local lending service (Ortsleihe) on the ground floor. You can take these books home for the duration of the loan term.
All books ordered for "Leihe nur in den Allgemeinen Lesesaal" can be collected around 2 to 3 working days after the order date in the collection area of the General Reading Room. You can find your orders on the shelf below the number that is printed in bold print on your reader pass. The books are already booked for you, i.e. borrowed in your name. During the loan term, you can use the books only in the General Reading Room and/or produce scans from it. For further use, please return the literature to the shelf with your number. If you no longer need a book, please take it to the depot in the marble hall.
Why can I borrow some books only for consultation in the reading room, but cannot take them home?
The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek is Bavaria's archival library. This means that the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek archives all books published in Bavaria and preserves them for future generations. To fulfil this commitment, these books should stay in good condition. When books are issued for home loan, loss or damage of the books cannot be ruled out. For this reason, books that are difficult to replace are provided for use on our premises (reading room) exclusively. Moreover, the following parts of our holdings cannot be borrowed for home loan – predominantly for reasons of conservation: Old holdings, particularly valuable works or works worthy of protection, loose-leaf editions, pictorial books, bound volumes of newspapers and periodicals, large-format volumes.
I have erroneously ordered a book for "Leihe nur in den Allgemeinen Lesesaal" (intramural loan only). Can I change the place of issue to "Ausleihe EG (Ausleihe außer Haus)" (home loan) retrospectively?
It is possible to change a once chosen place of issue retrospectively in exceptional cases. Books that are generally provided for intramural loan only cannot be re-booked for home loan. In cases where home loan is possible in principle, the procedure is as follows: Please collect the literature from the self-collection area of the reading room. Then take the books to the service desk 1 in front of the entrance to the reading room. The staff there will decide whether re-booking is possible and will do so where applicable.
Opening hours of the service desk 1:
Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00
Can I take books that I have borrowed for home loan to the reading room as well?
Yes. Please show the books to our staff at the entrance of the reading room. You will receive a confirmation slip that we kindly ask you to present and return to our staff upon leaving the reading room.
I have ordered a book for use in the General Reading Room. Where can I collect it?
You can find your book in the book collection area of the reading room on the shelf below the number that is printed in bold print on your reader pass (at the bottom right). There you can deposit your loans for further use.
Please note: It is required to register in advance for each visit to a reading room.
Registration for access authorisation for the General Reading Room
How do I access the Internet in the reading room?
The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek provides free-of-charge Internet access on its premises for academic purposes. Various WLAN access options can be chosen among in all of the reading rooms, in the learning and working area "Plaza” and in the cafeteria.
In addition, PC workstations with Internet access are available in the reading rooms. Please note that Internet access at these devices is possible only on condition that you are a registered user of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek and hold corresponding access identification data (user number, password). Students who have not yet reached legal age are unfortunately barred from access for legal reasons.
Use of the WLAN and Internet
Can I bring a beverage to the reading room?
You may bring water in commercially available transparent and closable bottles to the General Reading Room and the Periodicals Reading Room. The preconditions are: Please be careful not to damage the books. Please take empty bottles with you or put them into the corresponding waste containers.
This regulation cannot be extended to the further reading rooms due to the particularly valuable books provided there.
Lockers, reading room cubicles
Can I use a locker?
You will find daytime lockers on all floors.
Site maps
For books and other paperwork that you do not wish to take home every day, special lockers can also be rented for a longer period of time.
Further information
Can a rent a reading room cubicle?
Yes, that is possible.
In the General Reading Room, a number of lockable work cubicles are available, containing a writing desk, a shelf and, if required, a book trolley. They can be rented by individuals for a certain period of time.
A written request is required for renting a cubicle, stating the grounds of the necessity and the required period of time (for example the subject of the thesis together with a confirmation by the faculty or by the thesis supervisor).
Further information
Fees
What happens if I do not return a book in time?
If you overrun the loan period, you must expect to be reminded immediately. Reminders are not issued per book, but per return deadline that has not been met. You will thus receive only one reminder, even if the loan terms of several books have had the same expiry date. The reminders are automatically generated by our system at regular intervals. Please note: The individual reminder fees fall due separately, i.e. a second reminder does not include the fee of the prior first reminder, but the two reminder fees are added. The reminder procedure is stopped only by returning the book for which the loan period has been exceeded.
Comprehensive information about reminder fees
In case you have any questions concerning your reminder fees, please contact:
mahnwesen@bsb-muenchen.de
Where and how can I settle payable fees?
Please settle payable fees within 6 weeks via e-payment or by bank transfer or by paying at the pay machine on the ground floor of the library (in cash or by cash card). User accounts which have been locked due to excessively high unsettled fees (starting from € 10.00) are usually unlocked again immediately upon payment via e-payment or via pay machine. When payment is made by conventional bank transfer, it will take a number of days until the receipt of the payment is registered in your user account and your account is unlocked.
Bank account data for bank transfer
Directions for online transfer (e-payment)
Please note:
Unsettled fees in the amount of € 5,00 or more can be dunned at an extra dunning fee after 6 weeks. In such cases an extra dunning fee of € 5,00 will be charged to your account.
Starting at a total of € 10,00 of unpaid fees the loan functions of your user account will be locked automatically. This can also be the case when smaller sums below € 5,00 have not been paid over a longer period of time.
It is not possible to accumulate credit in your fee account.
Overview of all reminder/dunning fees
Will the interlibrary loan fee of € 1,50 be cancelled in the case that my request cannot not be fulfilled?
The fee in the amount of € 1,50 is a pure handling charge that has to be paid in any case, also when your interlibrary loan request could not be fulfilled.
Scanning, printing, copying
How does scanning, printing and copying work in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek?
In principle, you always need your USB memory stick and the copy card of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. The BSB copy card can be bought at the copy counter in the General Reading Room, at the copy counter in the Periodicals Reading Room and in front of the Aventinus Reading Room. Credit can also be topped up there.
- Scanning:
Overhead book scanners are available for producing copies from books from the reading rooms, bound periodicals and bound newspapers. For this purpose, you require a USB memory stick and the BSB copy card. Scanners are provided in every reading room. - Printing:
In case you wish to print out your scans, you can use the printers in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. For this purpose, you require your USB memory stick and the BSB copy card. Printers are provided in the General Reading Room, in front of the local loan area (Ortsleihe), in the Periodicals Reading Room and in front of the Aventinus Reading Room. Please note that generally only PDF, JPG and TIFF files can be printed. If you wish to print out files which were not produced by the scanners of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, compatibility problems may occur. - Photocopying:
Only such books may be copied which are classified for home loan, as well as unbound periodicals and unbound newspapers. For this purpose, you require a copy card. Photocopiers are provided in the area in front of the local loan counter (Ortsleihe) and in the Periodicals Reading Room.
Use of E-media
How do I find e-books?
E-books are catalogued in the OPACplus ("BSB-Katalog" and "Aufsätze & mehr" [articles & more]). E-books can be identified by the option "Online lesen" ("read online") instead of "Ausleihen" ("order for loan").
E-books or individual chapters of e-books are available in the form of PDF files in most cases. When you open and download an e-book, access to the book is usually not granted for a limited period only, but you can store the files on a data carrier (PC or USB memory stick, for example) and keep them long-term. This access concept differs from that of the online lending system "Onleihe" usually practised by public libraries, where the use of the e-book is permitted only for a limited period.
However, please always also take account of the conditions of use of the respective provider and the information of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek on the use of electronic media.
How do I find electronic journals?
Electronic journals for which the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek holds full-text access authorization can be found both in the OPACplus/BSB catalogue and in the Electronic Journals Library (Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek, EZB). In the BSB catalogue, they are identified by the button "Online lesen" ("read online"), which is a link to the Electronic Journals Library.
In the EZB, a traffic light system shows whether and how a journal is accessible:
- green = freely accessible
- yellow = accessible (via the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek)
- yellow/red = a part of the published annual volumes is accessible (via the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek)
- red = not accessible (via the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek)
Please note that the EZB permits searching for journal titles, but not for individual journal articles.
OPACplus
Electronic Journals Library (EZB)
How do I find articles?
Via specialised databases
Literature databases are the most expedient tool for searching for articles. Via the Database Information System (DBIS), the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek offers access to a multiplicity of databases on all fields of specialisation. These databases usually permit literature search also for articles. Some databases also offer direct access to the full texts of the articles. The databases are ordered according to areas of specialisation. In most fields of specialisation, there is a menu item "Top-Datenbanken" ("top databases") above the alphabetical list of databases, which lists the most important services relevant for the field in question.
Datenbank-Infosystem (DBIS)
Under "Aufsätze & mehr" ("Articles & more") in the OPACplus
The contents of numerous (not all!) databases, e-journals and e-book portals are also contained in an extensive overall index and can be queried jointly in the OPACplus. In addition to the option to search cross-platform for articles and partly also for book chapters, also the full-text versions of some contents are searchable. The hits are shown in the second tab "Aufsätze & mehr" in the OPACplus.
(In the "BSB-Katalog" (first tab) no articles can be found!)
OPACplus
How can I gain access to not freely accessible e-media via the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek?
For using licensed (not freely accessible) e-media you need a reader pass, i.e. the associated access identification of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.
Registration
Can I access e-media also from home?
Yes. If you have a registered place of residence in Germany, you can use most of the e-media also from home. For licensing reasons, some services are accessible externally only for users with a place of residence within the Munich metropolitan area (roughly corresponding to the range of the S-Bahn commuter railway system).
After calling up a licensed service, you are requested to input your access identification, your 12-digit user number and your password. These user data correspond to the data which are also required for loaning media.
For registered users without place of residence in Germany, the electronic media are accessible in the library, using the Internet work places or the WLAN of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.
How do I recognize that external access is blocked or is possible only to a limited extent?
With respect to databases:
In the Database Information System, access options are marked by coloured symbols and corresponding indications.
- "Online – auch extern (M)" ("Online – also externally (M)") means that the database can be called up externally only by users with a place of residence in the Munich metropolitan area. (e.g. Süddeutsche Zeitung Archiv)
- A small number of services can be called up exclusively from within the library, from the PC work places or using the WLAN of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Juris, for example, is limited to "Online via BSB – nur intern" ("online via BSB – internally only").
With respect to electronic journals:
The Electronic Journals Library provides information on possible access limitations via the "i" symbol in the detail view of each journal. The addendum "(* begrenzt auf den Großraum München)" indicates the limitation to the Munich metropolitan area here.
With respect to e-books:
When you call up e-books via the OPACplus ("BSB-Katalog" or "Aufsätze & mehr"), there is unfortunately no indication of access options. However, the system checks your authorisation during the search process. In the case that the conditions for access are not fulfilled, you will be informed accordingly by the indication "Die Berechtigungen sind nicht ausreichend" ("The authorisation is not sufficient.").
How can I obtain the full text of the literature that I have found in a database?
In so-called full-text databases (e.g. WISO, Nexis, JSTOR) the full texts of the articles or e-books can be called up directly in the database.
Literature databases most frequently contain only the bibliographic data set (= author, title,...) of the literature. In this case, you need to subsequently search the OPACplus/BSB Catalogue (or other library catalogues).
Many databases facilitate the subsequent search by the button "SFX". SFX takes over the literature data and provides you directly with the link to the full text or starts the subsequent search for you in the desired library catalogue.
Can I download and print electronic literature?
In most cases it is possible to download and store journal articles, book chapters or complete e-books in the PDF format. The PDF files can also be printed out.
Services which can be used exclusively within the library usually also allow you to store the required files on your laptop or USB memory stick and use them also at home subsequently.
Please always also take account of the conditions of use of the respective provider and the information of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek on the use of electronic media.
The login for a licensed service does not work. What could be the cause?
In case that your login has failed please check the following:
- With respect to databases: Wishing to access a database externally, have you selected the "Start-URL für den externen Zugriff" ("start URL for external access") in the Database Information System?
- Have you input the 12-digit user number and your password correctly?
In case you are not sure, please test whether you can log into your user account in the OPACplus. If you get an error message in response to the login attempt there, this is also the reason why the login to the electronic media has failed.
User account - Have you enabled the storing of cookies in your browser?
This is required for the login to work. Information about the storing of cookies can be found in the help text of your browser, for example Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Chrome.
In case you cannot solve the problem yourself, please contact us via the online information service. Please describe your course of action in detail and tell us the wording of the error message that appears on the screen.
Online inquiry service
Courses
Can I also participate in a course online?
Yes.
The webinar "Neu hier? Kein Problem! Die Bayerische Staatsbibliothek für Einsteiger" ("Are you new? No problem! – The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek for beginners") (in German) will take place every Tuesday at 15:30 (not on 17 August 2021, 24 August 2021, 21 December 2021, 28 December 2021) and further webinars with different topics are offered. All further information is available here:
Webinars
Suggestions for acquisitions and book donations
How can I suggest the acquisition of a book?
You can make an acquisition suggestion via the OPACplus. For this purpose click on the button "Anfragen" ("Information") in the blue bar on the far right, and subsequently click on "Anschaffungswunsch" ("Acquisition request"). The form for acquisition requests can also be found directly on the website.
Acquisition request
I wish to donate a book to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Can I do this?
Please e-mail us a title list first (author, title, place and year of publication). You can check in advance in the OPACplus/BSB catalogue whether the book already forms part of our collections. We appreciate your understanding that we only accept such books which we do not own yet and which match our collection profile. Please refrain from bringing or sending us any unannounced book donations – no matter whether the books are new or antiquarian – unless it is a Gutenberg Bible.
OPACplus/BSB catalogue (for checking our holdings)
unberechneter.zugang@bsb-muenchen.de (for enquiry by e-mail about titles or title lists)
In case you need a donation confirmation, please let us know immediately. Please note that we cannot issue donation confirmations retrospectively.
For users with handicaps
Where is the barrier-free entrance?
The barrier-free entrance for users with restricted mobility and for wheelchair users is at the post room at the south side of the building.
Further information and site map
Whom can I turn to in case I need special assistance?
In case you require special assistance during your visit to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, you can notify the reception office in advance (phone: +49 89 28638-2220).