Using the Library
Below you will find information on how to apply for a library card, which allows you to borrow materials from our collections.
You will also find information on borrowing materials in person at the Library, requesting items through interlibrary loan via your local library, and ordering materials directly by post.
Information on using our Digital Collections is also available. They can be accessed without a library card or registration.
Here you will also find the Guide to Setting Up Your User Account in the WebOPAC.
Library Card
To borrow books and other materials from our collections, you need a library card, which you can apply for either in person or online using the registration form. You can apply for a library card in person during our opening hours.
To do so, please visit us in the Reading Room on the ground floor of the Martin Opitz Library and bring your identity card with you. If you would like to apply for a library card online, you can do so using the registration form available here.
The library card is free of charge.
Borrowing Books and Other Materials
The Martin Opitz Library is a closed-stack library. Unlike a public library, for example, our collections are not freely accessible. Instead, our staff retrieve the materials you request after you have searched for them in our catalogue.
Request slips are available in the Reading Room. Please fill them in and hand them to a member of staff. The requested books will then be retrieved for you, usually within a few minutes.
Alternatively, you can email us before your visit at information.mob@herne.de and list the books or other materials you would like to consult, together with their shelfmarks. The requested materials will then be ready for you in the Reading Room when you arrive.
Please note that new regulations regarding stack requests and retrievals have been in effect since 1 April 2026. Since that date, requests for materials from the stacks can be made only until 5:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and until 1:00 p.m. on Fridays. Special access to the Library may be arranged on request for research stays.
Interlibrary Loan
The Martin Opitz Library participates in the interlibrary loan system.
If you would like to use materials from our collections but are unable or prefer not to visit us in person, you can request these materials through your local library.
Using the German ISIL Agency directory, you can find out which libraries are located near you and whether they participate in the interlibrary loan system. If there is no participating library in your area, you can use our direct postal lending service.
Direct Postal Lending
Registered users residing in Germany can borrow materials directly by post. Direct postal lending is subject to our library regulations and fee schedule. Please submit your requests in writing to: information.mob@herne.de
If you are not yet registered as a user, you can register free of charge either in person or by email (see above).
The following fees apply to direct postal lending:
| First item in an order, per item | € 8.00 * |
| Each additional item in an order, per item | € 2.00 * |
* Actual postage costs incurred, rounded up to the nearest full euro
Your order will be sent as an insured parcel, together with the invoice. Returns must also be sent as a parcel.
Renewing the Loan Period
Requests to renew the loan period can be submitted using the following online form.
Requests to renew the loan period can also be submitted by email (information.mob@herne.de) or by telephone (02323/16-2805).
If you contact us by email, please be sure to provide the following information:
surname, first name, address, email address, as well as the author and title of all materials you wish to renew.
Library Regulations and Fee Schedule
Information on Using the Digital Collections
The use of the Digital Library is subject to terms of use, which are explained in more detail below.
Free Access
Documents labelled “Free Access” can be accessed and used freely without restrictions.
Rights Reserved – Free Access
Documents labelled “Rights Reserved – Free Access” are protected by copyright but may be accessed for academic and private purposes. Redistribution and publication are not permitted.
Free Access – Partially Restricted
Documents labelled “Free Access – Partially Restricted” contain both sections that can be used without restrictions and sections that, for copyright reasons, may only be accessed in the physical Reading Room of the Martin Opitz Library.
Access in the Reading Room Only
Documents labelled “Access in the Reading Room Only” may, for copyright reasons, only be accessed in the physical Reading Room of the Martin Opitz Library.
Access Restricted
Documents labelled “Access Restricted” are in quarantine for an indefinite period.