Information on Circulation
Borrowing and Returning Media
The collection of books in the library is sorted systematically and is open to access. In order to find the book you are looking for please make use of our Katalog plus.
In your catalogue search you can find out where the medium is located in the library by clicking on the title and you can see if this medium is available for loan or not, if necessary place a loan reservation.
In our open access library you can pick up the books you need yourself and take them to one of the circulation desks for borrowing together with your library card or the USiCard activated for library use. In the Main Library Adolf-Reichwein-Straße (AR) and in the branch library Unteres Schloss (US) there are also self-service terminals available.
Media from our stacks and audio-visual media from the media collection have to be ordered via the Katalog plus.
Media with a white or green call number tag can be borrowed from the library. Media with a red call number tag are part of the non-lending collection and cannot be borrowed from the library.
The lending period is usually 60 days. If the item in question has been reserved by another library user this period is shortened and you will be informed about the new lending period via e-mail. Please adhere to the lending periods since you will be charged a fine for overdue loans from the first day after the deadline. Please note that these fines are due regardless of the time of dispatch and reception of reminders, so always check your library account.
Borrowed media are to be tended with due care and to be kept safe from harm of all kind. Please inform us about any damages or markings inside the book before borrowing the item. If damages are noted on return of the item, the lender will be held responsible.
Borrowed media can be returned at every circulation desk, return by post is also possible.
In the Main Library Adolf-Reichwein-Straße (AR) and in the Branch Library Unteres Schloss (US) return machines are available for returning borrowed media. The return machine in the Main Library AR is accessible 24/7, i.e. also when the library is closed.
If media are not accepted by the machine, please contact the circulation desk.
To avoid complaints please always check your library account.
Extending Lending Period
You can extend lending periods yourself online by login into your library account.
The extension has to be done before the lending period runs out otherwise you will be charged a fine for overdue loans.
If a medium has been reserved by another user, extending the lending period is no longer possible. Please return the item in question on time.
Please present media with expired lending period at one of our circulation desks to return them or to have the lending period renewed and pay the fines.
If you require an extension of the lending period of an interlibrary loan please present the item in question with any receipts and forms that go with it including your library card/USiCard at one of the circulation desks where interlibrary loans can be picked up after delivery. Please note that an extension is only possible if the lending library agrees and if the application for an extension of the lending period has been handed in before the lending period expires at one of the circulation desks of the pick-up libraries during the service hours (Information and assistance). In case the extension is not agreed to you will receive a return request.
You can also request the extension of the lending period by sending an e-mail to the interlibrary loan department. Extension can’t be granted, if there is the note “KEINE Fristverlängerung” under the barcode (pink receipt). Please include your library card number and the number of the ILL-book you want to extend.
In case of overdue loans a fine will be charged to your account, calculated according to the Gebühren- und Entgeltordnung der Universitätsbibliothek Siegen (Charge and Compensation Regulations of the University Library of Siegen).
Extending the lending periods via phone is not possible.
Log in to your Library Account with a Password
University members and students of the University of Siegen will log in to the Katalog plus via the Shibboleth interface with their already known ZIMT ID and the corresponding password (e.g. as with moodle or the University mail account) in order to be able to use the account functions (account viewing, renewing loan periods, reservation, interlibrary loan orders).
Please note:
Giving your password to other people to access your library account on your behalf also gives them a.o. access to your personal mail account. University lecturers at the University of Siegen can grant a proxy for their library account.
Non-university library users will receive a new access identifier (ZIMT ID) and an initial password.
Please save this access ID with the initial password!
Log in to the Katalog plus and to the account functions (account viewing, loan period extension, reservation, interlibrary loan order) will be possible with this via the Shibboleth interface of the University of Siegen. Please change the assigned password to an individual password via the service page of the ZIMT.
If you have problems using Shibboleth or if you have forgotten your initial password, please contact the Central Services for users of the University Library .
The staff of the Central Services for users of the University Library can reset your password to the initial password if you forget the newly assigned password.
The previous access data will no longer be valid up from 1st August 2022 and can not be used to log in to the Katalog plus.
These process data enables you to do the following things yourself:
- Log in to your library account
- Extending lending periods
- Placing loan reservations on borrowed items
- Ordering from the media collection and the closed stacks
- Placing orders for interlibrary loan
- Informing us about changes in your address / e-mail address
Your password must have a minimum length of 12 characters and contain characters from all 3 of the following categories:
- Small letters: a, b, c, ...
- Capital letters: A, B, C, ...
- Numbers: 1, 2, 3, ...
The following characters should not be used:
Mutated vowels ä, Ä, ö, Ö, ü, Ü
ß (Eszett / Scharfes S)
Country- or language-specific letters (e.g., with accents, trema, check marks [Háček]
Special characters: ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * _ - + = ` | \ ( ) { } [ ] : ; " ' < > , . ? /
Your username must not be in the password.
Placing Loan Reservations
If a medium is lent out to another user, you can place a reservation on that item via the button “Vormerken” (“Request”) in the Katalog plus. Beforehand you should check whether the library has more items of the same kind available for loan (maybe in other parts of the library or in one of the branch libraries).
When the item in question is returned you will be informed by e-mail that the item has been reserved for you and can be picked up at the respective (branch) library.
Postage for information on reserved media sent via mail will be charged to your library account.
In your library account you have an overview over placed reservations and reserved media now available to you ("Ready for pick up"). There you can also delete reservations on media you no longer require.
By reserving media the lending period of the item(s) in question will be shortened. You can find the new due date and thus the new availability date in the overview over your reservations in your library account after 1-2 days.
Lost or Damaged Media
According to the Benutzungsordnung der Universitätsbibliothek Siegen (Library regulations) you are required to pay compensation for damages to or the loss of library property.
In the case of losing an item please refer to one of our circulation desks in the library or complete the form for media loss/media damage.
In the case of damage to an item please present the item in question together with the form for media loss/media damage at one of our circulation desks.
Fine for Overdue Loans
Please adhere to lending periods for borrowed media since you will be charged a fine for overdue loans from the first day after the deadline. Please note that these fines are due regardless of the time of dispatch and reception of reminders.
The fines for overdue loans are calculated according to the Gebühren- und Entgeltordnung der Universitätsbibliothek Siegen (Charges and compensation regulations of the University Library of Siegen).
The fines for exceeding lending periods per medium are:
- 1st level of loan period overrun (from the 1st calendar day after the due date): 2.00 €
- 2nd level of loan period overrun (from the 11th calendar day after the due date): additional 3.00 €
- 3rd level of loan period overrun (from the 21st calendar day after the due date): additional 5.00 €
- 4th level of loan period overrun (from the 31st calendar day after the due date): additional 10.00 €
These fines, except the ones you have received an official letter for („Leistungsbescheid“), can be paid in cash or via ec-card at the pay machine in the Main Library Adolf-Reichwein-Straße (AR).
Payment of pending charges will lead to immediate exoneration of your library account and includes a receipt.
You will need your library card or library card number for the payment.
In the branch libraries you can pay your charges at the circulation desks.
Please keep in mind:
To borrow a medium implies that your library account is free of charges. Therefore please pay your fees before you borrow a medium.
Note on e-Mail Notifications
Notifications, reminders, the first to third reminders and receipts are sent exclusively by e-mail.
Fourth reminders and return orders will be printed as a letter and delivered by mail or by in-house mail.
Please note especially:
The University Library is not liable for using incorrect user e-mail addresses.
The library user carries the risk of any e-mail messages / notifications that are not received.
Library users are themselves responsible for adhering to the expiration of lending periods, irrespective of notifications received or not.
In your own interest keep an eye on your letter box.
Correspondence via e-mail can only be guaranteed during the opening hours of the Zentrale Benutzungsdienste (Central services for users).
Anzeige: