Library Loan and order

To borrow an item, simply take it from the shelf and check it out using your library card at the self-checkout station or at the Service Point. Items that cannot be borrowed are marked with a yellow label. Please also note that some items are kept in special locations or are on long-term loan to university departments or faculty members.

Reservations

If an item is currently on loan, you can place a reservation in the detailed view of the WebCatalog.

• Once a reservation has been placed, the current borrower can no longer renew the item.
• You will receive an email as soon as the item has been returned.
• The item will be held for you at the Service Point for seven days.
• Please bring the pickup code from the email when collecting the item.

Loan Periods

• Standard loan: 28 days (56 days for university faculty and staff)
• Reference collection (yellow label): Not available for loan
• Technical equipment: 28 days
• Laptops: 28 days
• Journal issues: 14 days (the most recent issue cannot be borrowed)
• Locker keys: 14 days

Reminder

You will receive a reminder email two days before the loan period expires.

• Members of Aalen University will receive the reminder at their university email address.
• You can either return or renew your borrowed items.

Renewals

• Items may be renewed up to six times.
• Laptops cannot be renewed.
• Each renewal extends the loan period by 28 days (56 days for university faculty and staff).
• Renewals are available via:
  • WebCatalog (My account)
  • by telephone or e-mail
  • in person at the Service Point
• Renewals are not possible if:
  • the item has already been renewed six times
  • the item has been reserved by another user
  • your account has outstanding overdue fees
  • your account has been blocked

Returns

• Items can be returned during opening hours at the self-checkout station or at the Service Point.
• Items may also be returned at any time using the book return box outside the library. The box is emptied several times a day, and all returned items are checked in no later than the next working day.
• At the return machines in Beethovenstraße (BibSpot) and the WIN building, items are automatically checked in as soon as they are inserted.
• To avoid overdue fees, the library recommends returning overdue items in person.

Overdue fees

• If items are returned late, overdue fees will be charged after a short grace period.
• The first reminder is sent by email (student email account). Further reminders are sent by post.
• The first reminder incurs a fee of €1.50 per item, the second €5.00 per item, and each subsequent reminder €10.00 per item.
• Faculty and staff receive reminders free of charge.
• Reminder notices are sent once a week.
• If an overdue item has not been returned after the fourth reminder, a replacement copy will be purchased at the user's expense.
• Fees can be paid using your university ID card at the payment terminal next to the Service Point or in cash.

The Click & Collect service allows you to request print materials through the WebCatalog, so you do not have to retrieve them from the shelves yourself. To request an item, open its full record in the WebCatalog and select "Request/Hold".

The library checks for requests several times a day. Requested items are retrieved from the shelves by library staff and held for you for seven days. You will receive a notification email containing your pickup code, which you will need to collect your item.

Requested items can be collected from the Service Point on the ground floor of the library.

The following equipment is listed in the WebCatalog and available for loan:

• Laptops
• Laptop charging cables
• Keyboards
• Computer mice
• Calculators
• External CD/DVD drives
• Headphones
• Presentation remotes
• Adapters
• USB charging cables
• Desk lamps (deposit required)

The laptops are provided on behalf of the Student Representative Council (Verfasste Studierendenschaft). They cannot be renewed.

A Media Cabinet has been installed next to the BibSpot on the first floor of the Beethovenstraße building (library reading room). Members of Aalen University can use their library card to borrow the following equipment:

• Laptops
• Digital voice recorders
• Presentation remotes
• Adapters
• Mobile phone charging cables
• HDMI cables

Renewals

Equipment borrowed from the Media Cabinet cannot be renewed through the WebCatalog. Please contact the library team if you wish to renew an item. Laptops cannot be renewed.

Interlibrary Loan – What Is It?

• Books that are not available in the library's collection can be requested through the interlibrary loan service.
• Materials from most libraries in Germany can be found by selecting the "Fernleihe" search scope in the WebCatalog.
• E-books and loose-leaf publications cannot be requested via interlibrary loan.

Searching – Before You Place a Request

• Use the WebCatalog and select the "Fernleihe" search scope.
• In the "Source" section, check how many libraries hold the item.
• Pay attention to the item's status: available for loan, reference collection, or on order/in processing.
• The more libraries that hold an item, the faster it can usually be supplied.
• If an e-book is not accessible despite using VPN or SSO, check whether the print edition can be requested instead.

Requesting Journal Articles

• Journal articles can be requested, but complete journal issues cannot.
• Use the WebCatalog and select the "Fernleihe" search scope.
• First, check whether an electronic full text is available via "URL – EZB" (green/yellow/red traffic light system).
• If no electronic access is available, request either the print version or the electronic journal, depending on the publication year.
• Enter the article title, author, volume, issue number, page numbers, and year.
• Articles are usually supplied as a PDF by email; in rare cases, a paper copy is available for collection.

Costs and Fees

• €1.50 per request (even if the requested item cannot be supplied).
• Additional charges may apply for copies exceeding 30 pages or for international requests.
• Replacement fee for lost interlibrary loan items: €2.50.
• Standard overdue fees apply if borrowed items are returned late.
• Students may be able to have the costs covered by their degree programme (cost reimbursement form).

Delivery Times

• Books: Usually 1–2 weeks, depending on how many libraries hold the item.
• Journal articles: Often supplied more quickly.

Collection

• You will be notified by email (students receive notifications via their university email account).
• Use the pickup code to locate your item on the collection shelf.
• Fees are payable when you collect your item.

Loan Periods and Renewals

• Loan period: 4 weeks.
• Up to two renewals are possible (subject to approval).
• Details of the loan period are enclosed with the item.
• If a renewal request is declined, you will be notified by email.

We are happy to order the literature you need at the discounted rates available through the library. If you have any questions, please contact us.

TIB Portal

TIB-Portal: A service provided by the Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology (TIB), offering access to scientific and technical information as well as fast delivery of documents (particularly standards, including international standards) in both electronic and print formats.

Subito

Subito: A fast and convenient document delivery service provided by libraries. It supplies copies of journal articles and supports the borrowing of books. Information about the applicable fees can be found here.