Finding your way around the library
Here you can find out which subject areas the library offers media resources for and how to locate them in the library. You can also learn about the library’s various special sections, such as the periodicals corner, the activity center, and the technical devices lending desk.
Areas of expertise and classification system
The collection is based on the courses offered by THA:
- Design
- Multimedia
- Business and Economics
- Computer Science
- Architecture
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Environmental and Process Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechatronics
- Social Work
The library's collection is organized by subject area:
- Academic Research, Higher Education (AK, AL)
- Media and Communication Studies, Design (AM-AP)
- Environmental Protection (AR)
- Philosophy, Psychology (C)
- Social Sciences (D)
- Languages (E-K)
- Art, Architecture (L)
- Sociology, Political Science (M)
- Economics and Law (P, Q)
- Mathematics (SK)
- Computer Science (ST)
- General Natural Sciences, Physics, Chemistry (T-V)
- Engineering in General (ZG)
- Architecture, Civil Engineering (ZH, ZI)
- Mechanical Engineering (ZL, ZM)
- Electrical Engineering (ZN)
- Energy Engineering, Measurement Technology, Mechatronics (ZQ)
The collection is based on the university’s course offerings and is organized according to the Regensburg Classification System (RVK).
Shelfmarks
The shelfmark is like a book's address in the library. It consists of numbers and letters.
The books in the library are sorted alphanumerically by shelfmark. Each book on the shelf has a label on the spine that displays the shelfmark.
This allows you to use the shelfmark to quickly locate a specific book among the many bookshelves.
You can find the shelfmark in the library catalog.
A shelfmark consists of various elements.
For example: 160 ZL 7600 B835-2(6)+1
- 160 = Location (in the example: items available for checkout in the reading room)
- ZL 7600 = Subject group (in this example: General refrigeration technology)
- B835 = Author code (in the example: Breidenbach, Karl)
- In addition, a volume (-2)
- and the edition ((6)).
- The call number is supplemented by the copy count (+1).
Here’s how to find the book on the shelves:
- First, check which shelfmark is listed. This determines whether the book is available to you in the reading room. If the book is located, for example, in the stacks or in a department room, you can request it or simply contact us.
- Using the floor plan, you can then head to the correct section of the library (e.g., the southeast corner marked ZL).
- Next, look for the labels on the sides of the shelves and locate the specific subject group (e.g., ZL 7600).
- Now walk down the row of shelves and look for the section where books are shelved with shelfmark labels that include the subject group and the author code (e.g., ZL 7600 B).
- Now all you have to do is search alphanumerically for the book whose spine label bears the exact call number you are looking for (e.g., ZL 7600 B835-2(6)+1).
| Location | Where can I find it in the library? | Available for checkout? |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Books in the stacks (restricted-access area in the basement) | Yes, available on request |
| 02 | Magazines in the reading nook | No |
| 03 | Non-book materials in the magazine storage area (inaccessible room in the basement) | Yes, available upon request |
| 23 | Dissertations in the stacks | Yes, available upon request |
| 130 | "Starting a Business" shelf in the reading room near the group study rooms (powered by THA_funkenwerk) | Yes |
| 131 | "Women's Library" bookshelf in the reading room near the group rooms (powered by THA Women's Office) | Yes |
| 132 | Activity Corner in the reading room near the group rooms | Yes |
| 140 | Semester collections (black label) in the reading room near the periodicals | No |
| 150 | Reference holdings on the shelves in the reading room, yellow label | No |
| 160 | Books available for checkout on the shelves in the reading room | Yes |
| 170 | Non-book materials in the reading room near the periodicals | Yes |
| 180 | Children’s non-fiction corner near the reading nook by the periodicals | Yes |
| Additional | in the administration offices, departments, and labs; accessible only in exceptional cases—please inquire on site |
Media types
Books make up a large part of the library's collection.
But it also includes magazines, newspapers, DVDs and other media, e-ressources, technical devices and recreational and sports equipment.
The reading room contains approximately 48,000 books. These are organized by subject area.
Older, rarely used materials are stored in the stacks and can be requested through the library catalog.
You’ll find reading recommendations from some faculty members as course reserves near the journals.
In addition to subject-specific literature relevant to your degree program, there are also special collections curated by other THA departments:
- THA_funkenwerk: Books on starting a business
- Family Services: Children’s Corner with non-fiction books related to the THA’s degree programs
- Women’s Office: Literature on topics such as gender roles, feminism, and careers
Non-book materials—that is, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, and CD-ROMs (location number 170 in the catalog)—are located near the periodicals on the wall side.
Here you’ll find documentary films, feature films, language courses, audiobooks, and video courses.
The library subscribes to approximately 170 journals covering all academic disciplines at the Technical University of Applied Sciences.
→ View the list of subscribed journals
They are arranged alphabetically by title and can be found near the copy room.
Older volumes of journals can be found in bound form (like books with dark red covers) along the wall (listed in the catalog under location number 02) or in the stacks (identified in the catalog by location number 01).
Some of the academic journals are also available online in our databases. A corresponding note is posted on the journal shelf.
Journal issues cannot be checked out! You are welcome to copy or scan selected articles in the copy room.
Exception: Issues of the following language journals may be borrowed for 4 weeks (the most recent issue is always excluded from borrowing):
- Adesso
- Écoute
- Spotlight
- Deutsch perfekt
Newspapers (including the *Süddeutsche Zeitung*, *Augsburger Allgemeine*, *ZEIT* and *Handelsblatt*) are located on a wall shelf next to the magazines.
We also offer various online access options for newspapers.
Through the library's campus licenses for databases, you have access to e-books, e-journals, and other electronic resources.
We provide presenters, headphones, cables, adapters, and other items through our equipment lending service.
The equipment is available at the library desk.
At the Aktivithek, we also lend out recreational sports equipment — to help you get more exercise in your daily life!
The equipment can be found on a shelf near the group workrooms.
Special locations
Stack-room (in the basement)
The so-called stack-room houses the older or less frequently used portion of the library's collection (a total of approximately 42,000 volumes).
In the catalog, these items can be identified by the location number in the shelfmarks:
- 01 (books)
- 02 (old journal volumes)
- 03 (old non-book media)
- 23 (dissertations, publications of THA)
Books from the stacks must be requested through the library catalog and can be picked up at the library desk the next day.
Book recommendations from professors
A temporary reserve collection contains literature selected by professors that they recommend for their courses.
The temporary reserve collection is available in print on the reserve collection shelves in the library.
You’ll find the temporary reserve collection on separate shelves across from the library offices.
To ensure that students can access this literature at any time, the books cannot be checked out (use in the library only). However, there are usually additional copies available for checkout in the regular collection — you can check their availability in the library catalog.
Literature on the entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneurship, startups, and innovation.
Shelf near the group study rooms and the blue seating area.
Browse the catalog for literature on the spirit of entrepreneurship (location number 130)
Literature on topics such as gender roles, feminism, careers, and self-empowerment
The books can be found on the shelf near the group rooms.
Discover “Literature for Strong Women” in the catalog (location number 131)
Nonfiction books for children
Children’s books on “Grown-Up” academic topics: In our children’s corner, you can borrow age-appropriate nonfiction books (including tiptoi® books and pens) on topics related to the THA’s degree programs.
Children are also welcome to get comfortable with the books on the beanbag chairs and cushions near the magazines.
Browse the library catalog for children’s books (location number 180)