Information for the first visit
For first-year students at the University of Cologne and all others coming to the library for the first time.
The library card – not just for borrowing books
Only with your digital library card can you enter the library, borrow media, and use workstations.
- For first-time students at the University of Cologne: All information about the digital library card can be found here.
- For all other users: How to obtain your library card.
If you have any questions, please contact our service team.
Wi-Fi in the library – via Eduroam
Access to our Wi-Fi via the “Eduroam” wireless network is available to:
- Students and staff of the University of Cologne
- Students and researchers from other universities that are part of eduroam.
What is Eduroam? An international university network for free Wi-Fi access at participating universities worldwide.
Instructions: Registration (authentication) for Wi-Fi
- Students at the University of Cologne: Student account + “... @uni-koeln.de” + password
- Students and researchers from other eduroam universities: User ID/university ID/university account + password from your own university.
Further information
- eduroam: Wi-Fi at the University of Cologne
- eduroam participating universities worldwide
- RRZK user accounts
- RRZK help desk
For those who do not have access via Eduroam, we offer Internet access:
- Internet workstations on the 1st floor in the main department
- Internet workstations in the reading room for special education and Internet workstations in the magazine lending section of the human sciences department
E-media from home—with VPN
Students at the University of Cologne have access to our e-media—either via the university network or from outside via VPN. You will need a student account and the free additional software VPN client.
Tips on our e-media and databases can be found here.
Reserving a seat in our reading rooms
You can conveniently reserve study spaces via the Anny booking portal—for example, in the reading rooms, the internet room, or the group study room.
Guided tours and courses – initial orientation in the library
Our tours and short training sessions will help you quickly find your way around the USB.
- Tour of the USB: a guided tour of the USB from the coffee bar on the ground floor to the magazine display on the 2nd floor – 45 min.
- Introduction to using the library – 60 min.
- For those in a hurry: the quick guides – whether university catalog, databases, or e-journals – well informed in 30 minutes.
You can find these and other courses in our extensive course offering
Site plans & Co – Get an overview
The USB is the largest scientific library in North Rhine-Westphalia—and the building is correspondingly large. To help you find your way around quickly, we have compiled our floor plans and information on the various borrowing options here.