Starter Pack for First-Semester Students

Welcome!

Are you studying in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences or in the Faculty of Business Administration (Hamburg Business School)? Do you need a text book or a specialist reference work for your course? Are you looking for literature on particular topics in economics, the social sciences, or business administration? Then the Library WISO/BWL is your first port of call for course and subject literature.

The Library WISO/BWL is part of the library system Universität Hamburg, which also includes the State and University Library (“Stabi,” SUB).

Where are we?

The Library WISO/BWL provides literature and information at 2 locations on Campus:

• The Business and Economics Library houses literature in social economics, economics, health economics, globalization and governance, as well as business administration.
• The Social Sciences Library caters in particular to the social sciences, political sciences, criminological social research, journalism, and communication studies.

Why do you need a library card?

You need a library card to borrow, reserve, or request books and other media.

The library card is free for students of Universität Hamburg. After you have completed the online registration, you can pick up your library card during Library service times. Please bring your German personal identification or your passport and residency registration document (Meldebestätigung) as well as your current student ID.

Good to know: Lockers, etc.

The Library is open to all. Please comply with the terms of use.

You may take jackets, study materials, and drinks into the Libraries. Please note that in the Business and Economics Library, you may only bring in water. For all other possessions, you may use the lockers provided. Ask at the Service Desk in the Business and Economics Library for a keycard. You need your library card to receive a keycard. The lockers in the Social Sciences Library function using a PIN that you can set individually.

Getting started: Wi-Fi and software for students

Students at Universität Hamburg have full access to Wi-Fi (German only) in all parts of the Library. Once you have enrolled and received a valid username, you can use the University’s Wi-Fi network. We recommend you install a VPN-Client (Virtual Private Network) (German only) so that you can access electronic resources (paid for by the University’s libraries) such as journals and eBooks.

You can also use numerous software programs covered by the University’s campus license, such as Office 365 A1 Plus (German only), SPSS (German only) or the bibliography citation, and referencing management programs Citavi (German only) and EndNote (German only).

Learning and working

Use the Library to learn and work.
The Business and Economics Library houses 441 individual work spaces as well as 6 computer work stations equipped for literature searches and 53 monitor-only work stations.
In the Social Sciences Library there are 116 individual work spaces, 4 computer work stations and 16 monitor-only work stations.

So that you and your fellow students can make the most of learning and working, we kindly ask you to respect the following rules: Individual work spaces are for quiet work only.
There are designated group and discussion rooms in the libraries. Please go outside the libraries to have telephone conversations.

Searching for and finding literature

Are you looking for a book or a certain journal? Would you like to gain an overview of the literature available on your topic?

The Katalogplus or the Campus Catalogue are good places to start. They tell you which books, eBooks, or journals are available on the campus. Katalogplus also provides a special search for articles that are available in Bibliothekssystem Universität Hamburg in electronic and/or print versions.

Literature that is only available in printed form can also be ordered through the Campuslieferdienst (Scan service).

How do you borrow books?

Would you like to borrow books so that you can work at home? You can borrow items from the textbook collection or our special collection. Check out your books at the self-check-out desk.

You can manage your loans and renew them online via the user account in Katalogplus.

Journals, volumes in the course reserves, or items with a red dot may only be used in the respective libraries.

We offer a special service that allows you to request items held in the ZBW Leibniz Information Center for Economics, the largest research infrastructure for literature in economics worldwide, through the Business and Economics Library and borrow these for up to 3 weeks.

Scan | Photocopy | Print

You just need an excerpt to quote in your term paper and do not want to haul the whole book home? You need an article from a journal that may not be borrowed? You would like to print a draft of your term paper?

Our book scanners let you save documents electronically for free on your own USB stick.

 Do you need a paper copy or do you want to print something from your PC, from a USB stick or from the computers in the library?
Use our multifunction printer with a special library card or with a CopyCard.

More questions?

Need help finding a particular book?
Like to access a certain database?
Ask us!
The library staff at the circulation or information desk will be happy to help you.

If you would like to get to know the Library better and receive some handy tips on searching for literature, book yourself a free tour of the Library or a literature search training session. We look forward to seeing you in the library!