Paths to the books - University Library TU Hamburg

Textbook Collection

The textbook collection is located in the lower reading room. Here you will find several copies of frequently used standard works.

They are labeled “Lehrbuchsammlung” or “LB”. At least one copy of each textbook is available for reference, which cannot be borrowed but can be used for working in the library.

Reading Rooms

In the lower and upper reading rooms you can find frequently used literature.

red: Civil engineering
yellow: process engineering, mathematics & natural sciences
green: Electrical Engineering
white: Mechanical Engineering
orange: Business sciences and general information

Floor plan reading rooms

Closed Stack

The closed stacks contain the majority of the library’s holdings. These media can be ordered online via the library catalog. You will receive an e-mail as soon as your order is ready for you in the pick-up shelf. You then have 7 days to borrow the book before it is returned to the closed stacks.

Course Reserves

A course reserve is literature compiled by lecturers for specific courses of study. The books are located in the upper reading room and cannot be borrowed. You can find an overview of the media on the course reserves page.

Digital Media

Digital media are books, journals and databases that you can access directly via the library catalog. You can find out how to access the content on the digital media page.

Institute of TUHH

Some books are not in the library, but in the institutes of the TUHH. They can only be found via the library catalog and are marked accordingly.

If you are interessted, please contact the service staff.

Acquisition Proposal

If we do not have the book you are looking for or if it is frequently on loan, you can submit a purchase suggestion to us using the acquisition proposal form. Your book requests are always welcome.

Call numbers explained

Each book has a call number, which can be found on the spine of the book. It consists of 3 letters and 3 numbers. They are used to sort and find the books in the library. In detail, it is made up as follows:

The call number is also displayed when searching in the library catalogue. It also indicates whether the book is located in Reading Room 1 (Lsesaal 1 = LS1), Reading Room 2 (Lesesaal 2 = LS2) or the Textbook Collection (Lehrbuchsammlung = LBS).

How to find the call number in the library catalogue:

In the results list

When you search in the library catalogue, you will find the call number to the right of the titles displayed. Clicking on the call number also opens the floor plan with the approximate location of the book.

In the detailed view of a book

If you click on a title in the results list, you will receive further information about the book. There you will find the signature at the bottom.