If you miss a book in our holdings, you can place an acquisition request. All suggestions will be reviewed according to our collection profile. You will receive notice of the decision via email.

You can return books at the circulation desk in our library. If the library is closed you can also take them to the librarian, Katharina Kloock, in room 0.006.

Please set your cell phone on mute. Making or taking calls in the library is not allowed.

There are three computers with internet access in the library. Two computers are attached to scanners.
Two Cip-Pools are located on the ground floor of the Philosophikum.

A copy machine can be found in the foyer of the Philosophikum. You need to buy a copy card.

Materials in course reserves can be read in our reading rooms anytime. They cannot be loaned.
You can take photocopies on the Xerox machines in the foyer of the Philosphikum or make scans on the computers across the information desk.

You can find the course reserves on the shelves in front of the information desk.

The ground floor of the Philosophikum is wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately the other levels of our library are not. We are happy to bring books downstairs for use.

Here you can see a list of free primary source databases and periodicals for American history.

The USB offers access to a multitude of licensed databases, e-journals and e-books.
Members of the University can access them from home via VPN or Proxy.

Our reading room is equipped with 40 places for individual study, 3 with computers for accessing the internet and electronic resources.

Copy machines (to be used only with a copy card) are located in the foyer of the Philosophikum.

To use a reading machine for microforms please contact the librarian.

Wireless-LAN is available for members of the University of Cologne.

The use of the library and lending is free of charge.

You are not allowed to bring food into the library.
Chewing gum is not allowed.
Water is allowed in resealable containers.

Questions concerning the library can be answered at the Circulation Desk. For assistance regarding research in the library, the USB-Portal, databases, or other online catalogs please contact the librarian, Katharina Kloock.

Email: kkloock(at)uni-koeln(dot)de
Tel.: +49 221 470-3020

If you need an item that can’t be found in the libraries of the University of Cologne, you can order it via interlibrary loan. Your order will be made available to you at the University library.

You are allowed to use your laptop in the reading room. All of our desks are equipped with power outlets. WLAN is available to students.

The library is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Please take a "Laptopkarte" at the circulation desk as a preventive measure against stealing. You have to return the card when leaving the library with your laptop.

To borrow materials students may use their Library Card from the USB, readers from different universities and private citizens also need a Library Card from the USB.

Up to ten books at a time can be borrowed for two weeks. They can be renewed at the circulation desk, via email or  phone (0221-470-3023). Books that were ordered by another reader cannot be renewed. Books checked out by another reader can be reserved.

• Journals, "Sonderdrucke" and sources can be used in the Reading Room only.
• Please contact the librarian for Microfilms, CD-Roms, and DVDs.
• Please contact the students assistants of the AGuF for borrowing books marked "AGuF".
• Please contact the librarian for materials marked "Schrank".

You can borrow almost all books.

We don’t lend journals, source and rare materials, and microforms.

There are five libraries within the Department of History at the University of Cologne:

• Library of the Institute of Classics
• Library of the Institute of midieval and modern history
• Library at the Institute of North American History
• Library at the Institute of Ibero and Latin American History
• Library at the Institute for Eastern European History

Through your library account in the USB you can see your lendings in our library.

To use the library facilities and to work with media in the reading room you won’t need a library card. Children and young adults under 16 need the company of an adult or the explicit permission of the head librarian.

For borrowing media you need the UCCard or library card from the USB. Residents of Cologne and students of a local university are eligible for a library card from the USB.  WLAN can only be accessed by students and faculty members of the University.

We offer library tours at the beginning of each semester. Anyone interested can join the tour without registration. Tour dates will be announced in the library.

If you need help finding material, please ask at the circulation desk or the librarian. We are happy to help!

Up to ten books at a time can be borrowed for a lending period of two weeks. They can be renewed twice either by calling or stoping by at our circulation desk.

Books that were ordered by another reader cannot be renewed.

Books checked out by another reader can be reserved by calling or stoping by at our circulation desk.

Lockers for the storage of overclothes, bags, books and other things are located in the foyer of the Philosophikum. You have to bring your own lock.

Please bring only transparent bags into the library.

If your UCCard or library card is lost please contact the UCL immediately to block it.

The library owns a number of microfilms and microfiches. Examples are: General records of the Department of State, COINTELPRO, Despatches from U.S. ministers, Papers of American presidents, Slaves narratives etc. Please contact the librarian for the use of a reading machine.

A selection of our new acquisitions is on display in the library. A current list can also be found on the library's homepage.

A valid UCCard is all you need to borrow books from our library. There is no registration necessary.

Books can be renewed twice via phone or email or in person at the circulation desk in the library. Renewals can be made one day ahead the expiration date.

You can find a number of tutorials on our website:

- How and where to find resources at the UCL and in our library
- Library Skills Tutorial on Ilias
- How to use different types of materials

Please contact us or use our form "Lib Answers"  if you need help researching any topic. We are happy to help.

The UCL offers a couple of information films.

The library has three flatbed scanner which can be used free of charge.

Subject headings are a formalized way of of searching library catalogs. The right subect heading can help you get to information more quickly.

For example, the American Revolutionary War can be described using the following terms

American Revolution
American Revolutionary War
War of the American Revolution
American War of Independence
War of American Independence
War of Independence

You could search the library catalog for all those words. Or, use one subject heading to find all of the library's materials about the the American Revolutionary War:

Nordamerikanischer Unabhängigkeitskrieg

Find books on your topic by using a keyword search to find relevant subject headings. For example, search the keyword "Nordamerikanischer Unabhängigkeitskrieg", in the library catalog. By clicking on one of the keywords for the first book, Die amerikanische Revolution, the subject headings lead to other relevant books on this topic.

You can view and print out our usage policy and regulations here. (Sorry, only in German)

To use the collection no registration is necessary.