Borrowing privileges

You will need borrowing privileges to take items out of the library on loan.

Who is entitled to borrowing privileges?

• Members and staff of the University of Cologne and of other Cologne institutions of higher education.
• Individuals who are resident in the city of Cologne or whose place of work or education/training is located in the city of Cologne.

Anyone who is officially resident in Germany may also be granted borrowing privileges. Appropriate written proof must be enclosed with the application.

Applying for borrowing privileges

To obtain borrowing privileges, you will need to fill out the application form in person at the library and provide the following details:

• Name
• Place of residence
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality

In some cases the library will require additional details:

• Employees of the University of Cologne will need to give details of their department, including the address and faculty.
• Students of the University of Cologne will need to give details of their faculty and their student registration number.
• Students of other Cologne institutions of higher education will need to provide their student registration number.

Official documents must be submitted as proof of the information presented in the application form and of fulfilment of the eligibility requirements. Should this not be possible, then some other form of proof must be provided.

This shall comprise one of the following:

• a valid ID card
• a passport together with proof of residence in the form of a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
• a driving licence together with proof of residence in the form of a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
• a foreign ID card combined with proof of residence in the form of a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)

Note that we can only accept your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) if it is less than two years old.

Minors must include the written consent of their legal representative (guardian) with their application.
In exceptional cases, the library may choose to omit certain requirements of the application process.

Validity

For students, borrowing privileges are granted until the end of the current term; for all other users, borrowing privileges are granted for a period of one year. You will need to submit a new application once this period expires.
Borrowing privileges may be terminated on request. Borrowing privileges shall no longer apply if the eligibility requirements are no longer met.

Library cards

When you are granted borrowing privileges, you will be provided with a library membership card. This library card remains the property of the library and is non-transferable. It must be handled with care and kept in a safe place.

If you lose your membership card, you must notify the library without delay. Remember that you are liable for any misuse of your library card even if no fault or negligence has occurred. The charge for issuing a new copy of a library membership card is 10 euros.
Users are required to inform the library without delay of any changes to or inaccuracies in the information provided on the application for borrowing privileges, or of any changes that affect the eligibility requirements.

Library cards that are no longer valid must be returned to the library once your borrowing privileges have expired.