Borrowing and Ordering

Because the textbook collection was financed specifically for the University of Bonn out of special funds, only its students can take items out.

You can borrow books for 28 library opening days and renew them twice.  You will not be able to renew a book that has been reserved by someone else. In exceptional cases, e.g. if several people have reserved the same book, its borrowing period may be reduced and restrictions imposed on renewing it.

Books from the textbook collection can likewise be borrowed for 28 library opening days. The maximum borrowing period for textbooks is 56 calendar days.

The standard borrowing period for periodicals ordered to the reading room is 14 library opening days. They cannot be renewed.

The check-out slip that you will receive whenever you borrow an item will show you when it is currently due back and whether any restrictions apply to renewing it. You can also get an overview of what you are currently borrowing and when they need to be returned by under “Mein Konto” (“My Account”) in the bonnus search portal. This is also where you renew items. If you have trouble renewing anything, the team from the Loan Department will be happy to help you.

If you have found a book on the bonnus search portal that is already on loan, “Exemplare Uni Bonn” (“Holdings Uni Bonn”) will show you its scheduled return date and give you a link for reserving it. You will need to enter your USL user number and your password to make a reservation.

Books from the textbook collection cannot be reserved, and books that have been reserved cannot be renewed.

N.B.: if you receive an e-mail on a Saturday telling you that a book you have reserved has been returned, please wait until the following Monday to collect it.

If you have lost a book or damaged it accidentally, please contact the Loan Department team as soon as possible to sort out the matter of a replacement.

You are obligated to pay compensation and, by getting in touch without delay, you will avoid overdue fines and potentially being banned from borrowing any more items. 

Use your USL number and the password you set yourself to log into the bonnus search portal, and then go to “Mein Konto” (“My Account”). You will then be able to renew either individual items or all those you currently hold on your account.

Borrowed items can be renewed online within eight library opening days of their return date. They can also be renewed up to six library opening days after this date, although late return fees will be charged to your account in this case. 

Please contact the Loan Department team if you have any questions about renewals.

Books from the closed stacks will usually have to be requested using the “order” function in the bonnus search portal. This is done via the “bestellbar” (“can be ordered”) link when you select “Exemplare Uni Bonn” (“Holdings Uni Bonn”).

In exceptional cases, e.g. for bound newspapers or if the information in the bonnus search portal is unclear, you can order the items without any formal requirements by emailing leihstelle@ulb.uni-bonn.de. 

To handle your request, we will need your name and user number and details of your order, the shelf mark if displayed, the title and the volume number as well as the exact date if you are ordering newspapers.

The collection date will be shown underneath your order in bonnus. Generally speaking:

In the case of orders placed before 1 pm on Monday to Friday, the books will be available at the lending desk in the Loan Department or reading rooms after four hours, where they will be held for collection or consultation for nine library opening days;

Orders placed after 1 pm or on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday will be ready from 10 am on the next working day.

Orders for items from the external stacks (e.g. doctoral theses and all items marked “Speichermagazin Bonn” (“Bonn Depository”)) will take several days to arrive.

University of Bonn staff can take out USL books for longer, although only if the book has not been reserved. If you need a book like this, please reserve it.

The member of staff will then be asked to return the book.

You will need to have selected the branch library that holds your item in order to see the “order” function, reservations and an indication of the expected return date in the case of items checked out. “Hauptbibliothek” (“Main Library”) is the default branch.

If you want to order a book from the MNL Branch Library, for instance, first choose the branch “Abt. MNL” (“MNL branch”) in the top right-hand corner. The book will then be made available for you in the MNL Branch Library.