Open-Shelf Areas

The four open-shelf areas (3rd - 6th floor) are open-shelf libraries, which means that you can freely access the shelves and take items from the shelves. You can read the items in the reading room or borrow them if they may be borrowed.


Borrowing

To borrow books from the open-shelf area, you need a valid student ID card (library card). The loan period is 14 days. You have to return the books on the floor on which you have borrowed them.

You cannot borrow reference works, recent issues of journals, books published before 1910 and specifically labelled books.

Please note that all items you reserve are prepared for collection at the textbook collection.

To search for literature, please use our catalogues. The books shelved in the open-shelf libraries are arranged by subject. Within a certain subject, books are arranged in alphabetical order according to the author’s name or the title (if the author’s name is not printed on the spine of the book). The labels of the books are arranged in ascending numerical order. Each reading room features a catalogue that contains information about all holdings of the relevant library area. Books that have already been recorded in the online system, are shelved next to the old stock. You can recognise them by their white labels. You can find information about searching the online catalogue under catalogues.


No cloakroom requirement

There is no cloakroom requirement in the open access areas. Backpacks, jackets, and other personal belongings may be brought along.
Semester cloakrooms are only available to a limited extent for doctoral students and people with physical disabilities (only with a medical certificate from an orthopedist)! The Library assumes no liability for any items lost or stolen from the lockers.


Fairness during examination periods

You may not reserve seats in the reading room. If you occupy a workstation for more than one hour but are obviously not using it, the staff may remove your personal belongings or books and clear the workstation for other users. In this case, the Library is not liable for any loss or damage.
Please act responsibly to help us to create a pleasant working environment, even if the Library is crowded. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Smoking is strictly prohibited in all reading rooms. Eating and talking on the phone are prohibited as well. Please set your mobile phone to silent mode to avoid disturbing other library users.
Always follow the instructions given by the library staff.

Connecting to the Internet

Wi-Fi

The Vienna University Computer Center (ZID) provides wireless access to the Internet (Wi-Fi) that can be used by anyone who has an active university e-mail account (u:account).

How can I connect to the Wi-Fi network?

To connect to the Wi-Fi network, you need a student or employee e-mail account of the University of Vienna.
You can access the ZID Wi-Fi service using your u:account User ID and the corresponding password (@univie.ac.at + password).

Unfortunately, members of other educational institutions cannot use the Wi-Fi. They can use eduroam via their home network.

eduroam (Education Roaming) is an international project. It enables users to log in to the Wi-Fi infrastructure (complying with the IEEE 802.1X standard) of numerous European educational institutions using the Wi-Fi log-in details of their home network. For further details on eduroam and the participating countries, please go to the official European eduroam website or to the Austrian eduroam project page at aco.net.

For further information, please visit the website of the ZID.