Borrowing

If you want to borrow items from the City Library you have to register in the City Library’s user file. For your registration we will require your valid passport/ID card. If you want to use your passport or driving licence we will also need an official document which shows your exact address (registration certificate). Please inform us of a change in your address immediately.

Children and young people under 16 years who would like to register must also present these documents as well as the written agreement of a parent / guardian.

For an annual charge of €22, recipients of unemployment benefit or similar in accordance with the SGB (German Social Security Code) pay €10, young people between 12 and 17 years pay €0, users receive a service card with which they can borrow all items from all the facilities of the City Library for free for 12 months. After the 12 months have expired, the card may be extended or it expires – termination of the card is not required.

Children up to 17 years-old receive a free service card with which they may only borrow children’s items. The service card is in their name and cannot be transferred. If you lose your card please report this to the City Library immediately so that this can be cancelled / further use blocked. Until notification of this is received, you will be responsible for any possible misuse.

The service card must be presented at the booking counter in the Central Library or in one of its facilities every time you borrow an item.

When you borrow an item you will receive a loan period receipt which states the date you must return the borrowed item. You will also receive a receipt when you return the items which you should keep for six weeks.

The loan period for books, audio books, cassettes, sheet music, musical instruments and games is 4 weeks; in other cases the following apply:

• Films 1 week
• Audiovisual media (music CDs, factual DVDs and videos (documentaries etc), CD-ROMs, PC and console games) 2 weeks
• Individual magazines 2 weeks

An extension of the loan period is possible up to three times. You may do this:

• in each library in person
• via our homepage (go to your account here)
• by e-mail (verlaengerung@stadtbibliothek.essen.de)
• or by telephone on: 0201 88 42 425 or 88 42 426.

Please note that an extension is only possible if the item has not been reserved by another user.

Please note that you should, if possible, always return items to the library from which you borrowed them.

For items which have been borrowed from the Central Library there is also an external book drop. You can place most of your borrowed items in here.
You will find the external book drop via the stairs to the left, behind the main entrance.
Important! If you return borrowed items in the book drop after midnight, an overdue fine will be charged for items which were due the day before!

You may miss the due return date and return your borrowed item late – this isn’t the end of the world! However, an overdue fine will then be due which is calculated at €0.25 per item / per day of opening.

These and further charges as well as the Terms of Use are outlined in the Terms of Use and Scale of Charges as agreed by the town council which are given and explained to you when you register. You can view these and print these here.

Please note that a certain number of charges may lead to your account being blocked and that you will then no longer be able to extend a loan period by yourself. In such cases, send an e-mail to: verlaengerung@stadtbibliothek.essen.de or call us. We can assist you.

Using the transit system you can order items from another library. Simply contact the relevant library by telephone or e-mail.

If items which you require are currently on loan in all libraries of the City Library you may reserve these for a charge of € 1.00 / per item. Simply contact the City Library or reserve online …

▲ Nach oben ▲