Visiting the Library

Whether you want to work in the reading room, need personal advice in the literature search, visit our exhibition, or hold a seminar using our special collections – we look forward to your visit to the Bamberg State Library!

Do you need expert advice in finding materials? Would you like help with catalog and database search? Do you have a question about the services offered by the Bamberg State Library?

We can help you individually or in small groups. Come to us with your request during our opening hours, call us at +49 951 95503-101 or send us an email.

The historic rooms of the reading room were used by the Bamberg prince-bishops in the 18th century as an audience chamber during the summer and later as the court chapel. Even today, our reading room offers a quiet atmosphere for concentrated reading, working, and studying with a view of the idyllic rose garden. 24 workstations, three library computers, and a book scanner are available.

You have immediate access to an open-access library with around 10,000 volumes (general reference works, basic literature), which are systematically organized according to subject groups and which you can consult without further formalities. A special feature of this is the collection of about 2,000 publications of the specialist group M (Bavaria, Franconia, Bamberg), which holds relevant works with a regional focus. The works exhibited in the reading room are listed in a repertory and of course also listed in our catalog.

The reading room also contains the latest issues of selected journals, as well as a weekly selection of newly acquired literature.

Some library computers with internet access and options to connect laptops to the WiFi are available in the reading room. The reading room staff is available to give technical support if you have any questions.

This is how to connect to the Internet with our computers or with your own laptop, smartphone or other devices:

At the library computers, you can search literature online as well as use the library's online services. Registered library users can log on with their library number, students and other members of the University of Bamberg with their BA number.

Students and other members of the University of Bamberg as well as visiting members of other universities or research institutions can use eduroam WIFI to access the Internet. Members of the University of Bamberg use their BA number. Visitors use the access data of their home institution. The IT-Service of the University of Bamberg provides detailed information about VPN.

Within the Bamberg State Library, access to BayernWLAN is free of charge.

A visit for research requires a written registration. Please send us a request by email at least one week before your arrival.

Ideally, you will have searched the literature yourself from home in our catalog or our manuscript catalogs and have told us of the needed bibliographic information and their shelfmarks in advance. If certain titles that you need cannot be determined through our online catalogs, we will be happy to search based on your information.

Please note: The ordered media can only be used in the reading room. A loan to take these materials out of the library is not possible.

If you would like to use manuscripts, incunabula, old prints or fine art prints and drawings in the course of your stay, we also need proof of scholarly interest in addition to the written registration. The inspection of such items from our special collection requires the approval of the directorate. Before their usage, we will discuss the purpose and background of your use request with you.

When you arrive at the Bamberg State Library, please contact the reading room staff directly.

The use of the Bamberg State Library is governed by the Allgemeine Benützungsordnung of the Bavarian State Libraries (ABOB) of 18th August 1993 (GVBl. p. 635) as amended.

Furthermore, the usage guidelines for information processing systems of the Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg apply.

A short distance from the Bamberg State Library, there are numerous cafés, restaurants, bakeries, and butchers with snack stands both in the rose garden of the New Residence and at the foot of the Domberg.