Borrow, Request, Renew

The Central Lending Library is an open-stack library, thus you can collect all items yourself and check them out using the self-service machines.

You can return items using the self-return machines in the foyer. You can return items via mail at your own risk to Universitätsbibliothek Mannheim, Ausleihe, Schloss Schneckenhof, 68131 Mannheim. If you return an item after the loan period has ended, the library imposes a late fee.

Only students of the University of Mannheim, of the University of Heidelberg or of cooperating institutions are entitled to borrow items from the textbook collection.

Please login to your library account and request your items in the Primo catalog. You will be notified via e-mail as soon as you can collect the requested items at the Central Lending Library Schloss Westflügel. This takes 1 to 2 work days. The items will be kept on the pick-up shelves for 5 days.

You can place holds on items which other users have already borrowed. You will be notified via e-mail as soon as the items are available in the Central Lending Library. The items will be kept on the pick-up shelves for 5 days.

You will be notified via e-mail as soon as your interlibrary loan items have arrived at the Central Lending Library Schloss Westflügel. Interlibrary loan items will be kept for collection at the circulation desk for the entire loan period. You can pick up the books and articles you requested at the circulation desk. Interlibrary loan books must also be returned at the circulation desk.

Items from the closed stacks or interlibrary loan items which cannot be checked out can be ordered to the special collections reading room in the InfoCenter. Among these items are old prints printed and published before 1850, books older than 100 years as well as newspapers and collections of loose papers.

You will be notified via e-mail as soon as you can access the items. The items will be kept in the special collections reading room for a period of 14 days. Please notify one of the staff members at the InfoCenter if you wish to renew the loan period of your items.

Upon presentation of their ecUM, students and staff members of the University of Mannheim can borrow mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and ebook readers at the InfoCenter.

Borrowing mobile devices

The A3 Library, A5 Library, Schloss Ehrenhof Library and the Schloss Schneckenhof Library are reference libraries. Only teaching staff members, staff members with the University of Mannheim as main employer and doctoral students may borrow items from the aforementioned libraries. The library may recall borrowed items.

Can’t find a book at its original location?

You can renew your items for a period of 28 days at any time via your library account. Students and non-university-members can renew items up to a total loan period of 84 days. Employees of the university can renew items up to a total loan period of 168 days.

You cannot renew the loan periods of items on hold, items from the textbook collection or interlibrary loan items.

If you do not return or renew the loan period of your items on or before their due date, you will be charged a late fee. Students and employees of the University of Mannheim and of cooperating universities will be notified via e-mail. The third reminder will be sent by mail to your current address. You can access your contact details via your library account.

Late fees are governed by the Fees Regulations of the Mannheim University Library (PDF, 49 KB, only available in German) and the Joint Circulation Guidelines and Fees Regulations for Mobile Devices (PDF, 346 KB, only available in German) . Your account will be blocked if it has been charged with fees exceeding EUR 10 (EUR 50 in case of full-time academic staff members).

If you loose or damage an item, e.g. by underlining sections, you are liable to pay the costs for replacing the respective item. If you have lost or damaged an item, please contact the library and fill in the respective form.

Please notify the library immediately of any pre-existing damages in order to avoid being held accountable for them.