Welcome to the library of University of Passau. Don’t worry if it feels confusing at first, we are here to help you.
The University Library offers a wide range of academic literature and information resources, both in print and online, to support teaching, learning, and research. In addition to students and staff, the library is also open to members of the public with academic interests from the city and surrounding region. The University of Passau Library (Universitätsbibliothek Passau) holds approximately 2.0 million physical volumes, including books, journals, and other media. In addition, the library provides access to around 200,000 e-books and 260 licensed databases for the university network. This extensive collection supports the research and study needs of students and faculties across various disciplines.
We have five reading rooms with over 1300 seating capacity. They include the reading room of the Central Library, Nikolakloster, Economics & Business Administration, Computer Science/Mathematics and Law.
The library offers free introductory tours and several training seminars for students to give them an overview of the facilities. Check out the timetable here. It is a great way to get started!
You do not need a library card to use materials within the library itself. However, only registered users with a valid library card can request or borrow books. For students, the CampusCard functions as the library card.
Your library user number, labeled as "UB-Nr." is located on the back of your CampusCard. To search for literature, use the Passau Search Portal (Passauer Suchportal), which allows you to search the University Library catalogue, the Bavarian and Berlin-Brandenburg Union Catalogue, and a multidisciplinary academic article database — all in one place.
Log in using your library user number. Your initial password is your date of birth in the format DDMM (e.g., 2505 for May 25th). It is recommended that you change this password after logging in for the first time. Once logged in, you can access account features such as requesting books from closed stacks, making reservations, renewing loans, and submitting interlibrary loan requests.
If you want to browse books on a specific topic within the library, you can use the Regensburg Classification System to find the subject codes related to your area of interest. This system organizes books by topic, helping you easily locate relevant literature.
Alternatively, you can search for topic-related books online through the Passau Search Portal (step by step user guide is at the end of this page). After identifying the materials you need, use the Library Location Code Guide to determine where the books are physically shelved.
There are two types of places where books can be borrowed: open shelves and closed stacks. Books on open shelves, such as those in the Booktower (Bücherturm), can be borrowed for 14 days, with no option for renewal. You can borrow up to 5 books at a time.
Items with an “available” status and shelf marks starting with 00/, 02/, 03/, or 04/ can be requested from the closed stacks. Once requested, these items will typically be available the next working day at the Central Library's ground floor collection area near the entrance. The standard loan period for these books is four weeks, and they can be renewed unless another user has reserved them. Requested items will be held for up to one week. If not collected within this time frame, they will be returned to their original locations.
Please note that failing to return books on time or returning damaged items may result in fines.
Pro-tip: Check the return deadlines in your library account. We will send you email reminders when your loan period is about to end, or when a reserved item or interlibrary loan is ready for pickup.
Scanners are available in all reading rooms and can be used free of charge and without a library card. To save scanned images, please bring a USB flash drive, as the scanners do not have email functionality.
Please note that printing and photocopying services are not free. To use the photocopiers in the reading rooms, you will need a printer/copier balance on your CampusCard. The CampusCard can store two separate balances: one for services provided by the student services association (Studentenwerk), such as the Mensa and Cafeteria, and another for the campus printers and photocopiers. These two balances are topped up at different terminals across campus. You can add credit to your printer/copier balance at several locations around the university, including terminals near the printer/copiers in the Central Library’s collection area. Additional top-up machines are also available near printers throughout the campus, and the balance can be used for all university printers, including those in the library.
The reading rooms and other publicly accessible spaces, such as group work rooms, the library lounge, and the Central Library learning room, are equipped with Wi-Fi access points. The university’s Eduroam Wi-Fi network is only available to university members and requires the Eduroam certificate to be installed on your device. You will need your ZIM username and password to log in.
Non-university members can connect to Bayern Wi-Fi (BayernWLAN), which is free to use. However, please note that licensed library content, such as e-books, e-journals, and databases, is not accessible via this network.
Begin by attending the introductory library tours and training sessions. These sessions will help you understand how to use the library system, locate resources, and borrow/return materials. You can find the dates and registration details here: https://www.ub.uni-passau.de/en/tours-and-training. Additionally, you can join the buddy program for extra support.
We now have a contact person dedicated to support international students! They can help you get oriented with library services, locate resources, and answer any questions you have about studying in a new environment. You can contact them directly or visit during their consultation hours. Alternatively, you can also ask for help at the Info Desk, which is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Yes, most library staff can communicate in English and will be happy to assist you!
If a book isn’t available at the University of Passau Library, you can request it through interlibrary loan or ask the staff for alternative options. If the book is currently borrowed but available at the University Library, it cannot be requested through interlibrary loan. In this case, you can hugely place a reservation through your library account, and you’ll be notified when the book becomes available. If the book is marked as “available” but you can’t find it, feel free to contact the Info Desk.
Yes, the library offers several study spaces. Some rooms are designated as quiet areas, while others allow group work. The study zones are clearly marked. In the Law and Computer Science/Mathematics Library, you can reserve group study spaces. For more information, visit: https://www.ub.uni-passau.de/en/learning-working/group-study-rooms/.
Yes, lockers are available outside the reading rooms. Please make sure to empty your locker before the library closes to avoid fines.
Immediately report the loss to the university’s CampusCard office. Since the card serves as your library card, student ID, payment card, and bus ticket in Passau, it’s important to block and replace it promptly.
You can access library materials within the reading rooms without a library card. However, to borrow or request items, you must have a library card. For students, your CampusCard serves as your library card. Non-students can apply for a free library card if they are residents of Germany or Austria.
The library provides several search stations connected directly to the Passau Search Portal. Some of these computers require a ZIM login, while others are open for use by both registered and non-registered members.
To request and/or borrow books, a registered German address is required for your library account. If you haven’t registered one yet (e.g., because you just started your studies, staying at an airBnB or still searching for a place etc.), you can still use the library’s resources, read books on-site, and scan/print/copy. Once you have a German address, add it to the system, and your account will be reactivated the following day. A blocked account due to a missing German address means you can’t request or borrow books or log in to your account, but you can still use the library and its materials on-site.
