Books and materials from the library’s holdings can be requested for use in the reading room by completing order tickets on-site or over email. Borrowing materials is not possible as this is a reference library.

Most materials become available shortly after a request has been placed. Large quantities and requests from our off-site stacks cannot be processed on the same day.

Notifying the library of your visit and your research topic in a timely manner are recommended.

Please order books at least 2 weeks before your stay in the reading room.

If you have any questions, please contact Nadine Zimmermann: lesesaal@ijb.de.

The library is part of the German and international library loan system (institutional abbreviation: M336). Since the library is not linked to an online order system for loans (e.g. SFX-Server Bayern), interlibrary loans are processed using the traditional three-part pink library ticket. As a reference library, we specialize in obtaining works through interlibrary loan that are not found in or cannot be borrowed from other libraries.

The following requests cannot be processed:
- secondary literature available in the stacks of the reading room
- historical books (publication year up to 1950)
- books published in the last two years
- audio-visual media and books with CDs and DVDs
- movable books (e.g. pop-ups and pull-tabs)
- books with craft supplements and colouring books
- overly delicate or damaged books

Books requested over interlibrary loan can only be read in the reading room of the requesting library. No photocopying is permitted.

The reading room is open from Monday - Friday, 10 am to 4 pm.