Studying On-Site

Cloakroom

Anja Herwig, CC BY 4.0

No backpacks, bags, food or drinks are allowed in the library. 
Exception: water in transparent, sealable bottles.

Lockers of various sizes are available for you in our cloakroom. You will need your own padlock. The padlocks should be between 5 mm and 6 mm thick in order to secure the compartment effectively.

There are free transport baskets available to transport your belongings within the library.

Food and drinks

To protect our book collection and library furnishings, you are may only allowed to bring water into the library in transparent, sealable bottles. You may eat in the building’s foyer of the building and in the café.

BiBtasche, padlocks and other items in the office supply vending machine

In the stationery vending machine you can purchase the BiBtasche as an alternative to our transport baskets. You can also buy padlocks for the lockers in the cloakroom and much more, e.g. whiteboard markers, USB sticks, erasers.

Please note: only card payment is possible at the vending machines.

Catalogues on site

You can find all the holdings of the Science Branch Library on the Primus search portal. The collections in the reading room and on the gallery are freely accessible. You can also order items from our stacks. For further details, please ask at the library’s service desk.

Workplaces

 Anja Herwig, CC BY 4.0

Collectively, the Science Branch Library and the PC pool of the CMS, offer over 400 different study spaces. Almost all of these spaces are equipped with power sockets and reading lamps.

In addition to the individual workstations in the lower reading room and on the gallery, the library also has group study rooms, meeting boxes, solo boxes, study carrels, specially equipped workstations for disabled readers, a parent-child area and a reading lounge.

Additional screens

On the window side of the gallery, you will find 32 seats equipped with display screens. HDMI and USB-C cables are attached to the screens, allowing you to connect your own devices.

Computer workstations

There are 55 computer workstations in the library, which you can use with your personal HU account or your library account. You can also connect your own devices to the monitor using an HDMI cable (instructions, PDF); for USB-C, you will need your own adapter.

Special workstations

In the lower reading room, you will find two electrically height-adjustable work desks, which are also equipped with computers. Wheelchair users have priority; the workstations are easily accessible via a ramp.

Additionally elevated workstations, which are not height-adjustable, are available at the balustrade above the reading room, at the standing workstations on the gallery and in the textbook collection. The bar stools available there also provide a place to sit.

At the service desk, you can borrow notebook stands to work more comfortably and ergonomically with your own devices. 

Charging stations

There are fast-charging stations on both the gallery and in the textbook collection. Here you can charge your laptops, mobile phones, etc. (5x USB-C, 1x Lightning, ultra-fast charging, 200W total output, ActiveshieldTM 3.0). Please keep an eye on your devices whilst they are charging. We decline all liability in case of theft of or damage to personal items.

You can charge your mobile phone in both reading lounges – each equipped with Micro-USB, USB-C, Lightning and wireless charging.

Rooms for Group Study

 Anja Herwig, CC BY 4.0

On the gallery there are three rooms that can be used for collaborative work and study – ideal for groups of three to ten people. All rooms are equipped with a smart- and a whiteboard.

Library users may use the available rooms without booking. However, you must give way to users who have booked the rooms in advance.

Current availability and booking via BibRoomz

Booking

PLEASE NOTE: Reservations and bookings can only be made online by members of HU and Charité, as well as by all registered library users who can provide proof of a disability.

• The booking must be confirmed by a second person
• maximum of 3 hours a day and 3 times a week
• only 14 days in advance
• no shows forfeit their reservation after 30 minutes

Equipment & Terms of use

• Even though the rooms are an enclosed space, sound may carry; therefore we ask you to keep as quiet as possible and keep the door closed while in use.
• You can borrow media boxes (Smartboard pens, remote control and quick guide) from the service desk.
• The smartboards are equipped with HDMI and USB-C cables, which you can use to connect your own devices.
• Please do not clean the smartboards yourself; if necessary, please ask at the service desk.
• You can borrow the keys and media boxes for the rooms at the service desk, you need a valid library account for that. 
• Please bring your own whiteboard markers – make sure you only use suitable ones! You can also get these from the stationery vending machine in the cloakroom.
• power sockets for your own devices 

Group study area

In the textbook collection, you can work together in small groups. Movable tables, chairs and acoustic panels allow you to create workspaces tailored to your current needs. Most workstations are equipped with power sockets.

Equipment

• 3 fixed tables and 10 movable tables
• 5 reading screens (HDMI and USB-C cables provided)
• 1 fixed whiteboard
• 12 acoustic panels
• Power sockets available at most seats
• Fast-charging station (5x USB-C, 1x Lightning)

Meeting Boxes

There are two meeting booths in the passage way leading to the computer room – ideal for groups of two to four people. 

Library users may use the available rooms without booking. However, you must give way to users who have booked the boxes in advance.

Current availability and booking via BibRoomz

The Meeting Boxes are not wheelchair accessible.

Booking

PLEASE NOTE: Reservations and bookings can only be made online by members of HU and Charité, as well as by all registered library users who can provide proof of a disability.

• The booking must be confirmed by a second person
• maximum of 3 hours a day and 3 times a week
• only 14 days in advance
• no shows forfeit their reservation after 30 minutes

Equipment & Terms of use

• Display screen with connection cables (HDMI and USB-C) for your own devices
• two sockets (on the ceiling and under the bench)
• The ventilation must be turned on together with the lighting when entering. Please use the switch on the ceiling.
• The boxes are soundproofed, but we ask you to be as quiet as possible and keep the door closed while in use.

Solo Boxes

There are a total of four solo boxes in the Sciences Branch Library; two are located behind the service desk near the self-service machines. The other two are in the Computer Science section near the rear staircase.

The solo boxes are intended for spontaneous use for online meetings or phone calls.

For scheduled meetings, you can reserve one of the solo boxes (in the Computer Science section).

The solo boxes are not wheelchair accessible.

Booking Solo box 1

PLEASE NOTE: Reservations and bookings can only be made online by members of HU and Charité, as well as by all registered library users who can provide proof of a disability.

Current availability and booking via BibRoomz

• The booking must be confirmed by a second person
• maximum of 2 hours a day and 3 times a week
• only 14 days in advance
• no shows forfeit their reservation after 30 minutes

Equipment & Terms of use

• Socket, bar stool, wall-mounted table
• The ventilation and lighting switches on automatically when you enter.
• The booths are soundproofed, but we ask that you keep noise to a minimum and keep the door closed while in use.

Study Carrels

 Eckart Schulz, CC BY 4.0

We have 13 study booths available to help you write your dissertation or prepare for your final exams. You can use these free of charge for one calendar month. The study booths are designed to ensure intensive and focused work.

The study carrels are not suitable for online meetings or telephone calls.

Please note the separate terms of use (information sheet, pdf)

Application for use via the online form

PLEASE NOTE: For students, PhD candidates, staff and visiting researchers at Humboldt University. Direct bookings are not possible. Available study carrels are distributed primarily to students and staff at Campus Adlershof.

Equipment

• Computer (log in with your HU account); can also be used as a monitor via an HDMI cable (instructions in PDF format); you will need your own adapter for USB-C.

Day-use study carrel

If you only need a study carrel for a day or certain days, you can book study carrel no. 230.

The study carrel are not suitable for online meetings or telephone calls.

Booking a day-use study carrel  

PLEASE NOTE:Reservations and bookings can only be made online by members of HU and Charité, as well as by all registered library users who can provide proof of a disability.

Current availability and booking via BibRoomz

• All day and up to 5 times a week
• Book up to 14 days in advance
• If you do not turn up, your booking will be cancelled after 30 minutes

Equipment

• Computer (log in with your HU account); can also be used as a monitor via an HDMI cable (instructions in PDF); you will need your own adapter for USB-C.

Lockable Book Trolleys

 Anja Herwig, CC BY 4.0

We provide five lockable book trolleys. You can use these to store your materials for a calendar month. You are free to take the trolley to your preferred location within the library.

Please note the separate terms of use information sheet (pdf) 

Application for use via the online form.

PLEASE NOTE: For students, PhD candidates, staff and visiting researchers at Humboldt University. Direct bookings are not possible. Available book trolleys are distributed primarily to students and staff at Campus Adlershof.

Reading lounge

Upstairs on the gallery, our two reading lounges offer comfortable sofas, armchairs and beanbags, as well as a fantastic view. They’re ideal for a quick break or a moment of relaxation. You’ll also find books, a chess set (chess pieces can be borrowed from the service desk) and facilities to charging your mobile phone.