In principle, the library is open to everyone.

To borrow, order, or reserve media, you need a library card from Mainz University Library.

JGU members and guests receive their library cards in virtual form.
You can apply for your library card using this form and then use your card via the “JGU Ausweise” app (the app is available in the Play Store and the App Store).

The Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV) provides further information about the app on its website.

Non-university users are kindly asked to fill out this form and then pick up their library cards during opening hours with specialist staff at one of the circulation desks (Central Library, University Medical Library, Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library, or Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library). Minors need a declaration of consent (PDF) from a parent or guardian.

As an employee of the University Medical Center, you must first apply for a university account via the account manager of the respective clinic or institution. You must also tick the respective box on the ESS portal to allow JGU to process your data. A virtual library card can then be requested via this form.

The library card is free for students, JGU staff, and for some scientific institutions in the region. 

Otherwise a yearly fee of €15 is required. 

If you are not studying or working at JGU, there is an annual user fee of €15.

Minors, as well as students and employees of the following scientific institutions in the region, are exempt from this annual fee:

Mainz 

• Academy of Sciences and Literature
• Fraunhofer ICT/IMM 
• Helmholtz Institute Mainz 
• Mainz University of Applied Sciences 
• Institute for Historical Regional Studies at Mainz University (Institut für Geschichtliche Landeskunde an der Universität Mainz e.V., IGL)
• Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz
• Catholic University of Applied Sciences Mainz
• Mainz State Museum
• Leibniz Institute of European History 
• Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
• Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
• Natural History Museum Mainz
• Romano-Germanic Central Museum
• Studierendenwerk Mainz
• Mainz University: participants of the Center for Continuing Education and the program specifically tailored for senior citizens (“Studieren 50 plus”)

Darmstadt

• Technical University

Frankfurt

• Goethe University 

Wiesbaden

• European Business School (EBS)

Please report the loss of the physical library card to us immediately at one of our circulation desks or by phone calling

• Mainz Tel.: +49 6131 39-22213
• Germersheim Tel.: +49 7274 508-35161 

We will block your account so that no one can borrow media at your expense.
The issuing of a replacement card costs €10.

Various reasons can lead to the blocking of your library card (card expired, owing fees, …).
To have it unblocked, please contact one of the circulation desks in person:

Mainz

• Central Library 
• Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library
• University Medical Library

Germersheim

• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library

If you are studying at JGU, you can register your new address directly in JOGU-StINe. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Services (Studierendenservice).

If you are not studying at JGU, please report the change in your address to one of the circulation desks on site: 

Mainz

• Central Library 
• Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library
• University Medical Library

Germersheim 

• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library

Please bring your updated ID with you.

To change your library account’s default password, log in to your account. There you can change your password under “Profile”. By default, your password is your date of birth in the format DayDayMonthMonthYearYear (example: Birthday on 01/07/2002 = password: 010702).
Tip: Avoid umlauts and only use certain special characters (e.g. @ ; . / \ ! | & = - ), as these are available on most keyboards.

The default password for your Library Account is your date of birth in the format DayDayMonthMonthYearYear. Example: Birthday on 01/07/2002 = password: 010702

If you have changed and subsequently forgotten your password, you can get a new one at one of the circulation desks:

Mainz

• Central Library 
• Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library
• University Medical Library

Germersheim

• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library

Please bring a valid photo ID.

A large part of Mainz University Library’s holdings can be borrowed.
This includes, for example, freely accessible media (open stacks, textbook collection).
Media from closed stacks can – with a few exceptions – also be borrowed by placing an order.
Please refer to the respective information in the research portal.

The easiest way to search for literature is to use the search bar (“I’m looking for …”) on our homepage. (On pages where the search bar is hidden, click the magnifying glass at the top of the page.) The search terms entered will be forwarded to our Research Portal. There you will find all of Mainz University Library’s electronic and print media in the “Library Catalog”.

When you click on a title, you will see all the information you need to find the book or magazine on the shelf in the blue area at the bottom of the page. For more information about locations, see “Where are the books or magazines located?”.

Under “More Literature”, you can access online articles and literature references from databases. (Literature that is not accessible via JGU is also displayed.)

There is an advanced search option for both the “Library Catalog” and for “More Literature”, which allows you to search more specifically. You can find more information in the Research Portal’s help section.

Tip: Learn about the Research Portal in more detail in our online course “Research for beginners: tips and tricks for searching literature in the Research Portal”.

All of the University Library’s media are listed in our Research Portal.

In case of electronic media, a link to the full text is available in the short list (access through the university network, via VPN, or remote desktop).

For print media, you will find more detailed information (e.g. scanned tables of contents) by clicking on the title and, in the blue area below, all the necessary information to find a book or magazine on the shelf:

• the library,
• the location within the library,
• the classification number under which the book or magazine can be found on the shelf.

For some publications, the classification number is missing from the usual place in the location information:

• For multi-volume works, click “show all volumes”.
• Newly ordered titles are initially displayed without classification number.

In the Branch Libraries, the media are mostly arranged thematically according to different cataloging systems, so that one can also navigate the collections standing in front of the shelf. When searching for a specific title, be sure to use the Research Portal!

The Central Library’s open-access area is not thematically arranged (exception: textbook collection). A prior search in the Research Portal is necessary.

In the Central Library and in most Branch Libraries, you can borrow media with your library card using self-service terminals. The media will be registered to your library account. You can view your library account at any time via the Research Portal (at the top left of the Research Portal under “Login”).

The loan period is usually four weeks. You can extend this period five times. However, an extension is not always possible.

There are special loan periods for certain groups of people and library locations.

You can borrow various anatomical models from us.

• All anatomical models are listed in the research portal. We kindly ask you to find the model’s classification number in advance.
• To use the models, please contact the Central Library’s circulation desk and give the respective classification number.
• There you will receive a key card for the corresponding compartment.
• You can borrow the models on a daily basis, i.e. you must return the key card and the model to the circulation desk by the next working day at the latest (if you borrow on Friday, you can return it on Monday).
• A return via the return machine is not possible.
• The models can only be used in the rooms of the Central Library and in the Georg Forster Building Library.
• If you wish to return the model on the next working day, it must be locked in the locker overnight. In this case, you can take the key card home with you.

Please do not loosen any screws or connections that you do not need to loosen in order to view the model!
If a part of the model is damaged or lost, you are obliged to replace it. If you lose the key card, we have to charge a fee of €20.

Some types of media cannot be borrowed:

• reference material
• special materials (microfilms, microfiches, maps, newspaper volumes)
• very valuable volumes and all books published before 1918
• books from interlibrary loan that the lending library has only released for use in the reading room

You can use these types of media in our reading rooms.

A large part of the media at our locations are arranged thematically according to various cataloging systems.

There are several reasons why a book might not be at the location given:

• The book is on loan. You can recall it, if possible.
• The book was borrowed and returned, but has not yet been placed on the shelf by our staff. Check back again later.
• The book was recently purchased and is still being processed. This is often the case with new releases. Contact the information desk.
• Someone has taken the book from the shelf, but hasn’t borrowed it. Check back later in the Research Portal and on the shelf.
• The book has been moved. Check around the area where the book should be.

Click on “Request” for the desired title in the research portal and select the desired pick-up library. The order will be kept available there for seven days. 

You have found separate collections in the catalogue without a request link? Please contact the staff on site.

Closed-stack media from the Humanities Library can be requested online or by order form.

Orders from the Research Portal or Online Catalog

Your Library Account will show you whether your ordered books are ready for collection (status: ready for collection).
As a rule, these books are available the following day at the latest. Please note that orders from one location to another can take several days. Keep an eye on the status.
The ordered books will be kept available for you to pick up for at least seven days.

Closed stacks orders from the Humanities Library, which you have requested via order form, will be available the next working day from 12:00 p.m.

Closed-stacks orders cannot be cancelled online. Please contact our staff if you no longer need ordered books.

You can order media from Germersheim to Mainz via the University Library’s Research Portal. Click on “Request” and select “Zentralbibliothek Ausleihe” as the pick-up library (“Auswahl Abholbibliothek”). For media without such a link, please contact the information desk.

You can order media from Mainz to Germersheim via the University Library’s Research Portal.  To do so, click on “im Online-Katalog bestellen” and select “Bereichsbibliothek TSK” as the pick-up library (“Auswahl Abholbibliothek”).
For titles without such a link, please contact the circulation desk.

JGU staff in possession of a library card can borrow media until the end of the current semester (semester loan period). The loan period is shortened when a hold is placed on the book by another user. Books from the textbook collection as well as interlibrary loans are excluded from the semester loan period.
We will be happy to advise you on site about special loan regulations for individual holdings.

University Medical Center employees can order media from the open stacks of the Central Library and of the Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library to the University Medical Library. To do so, please contact the University Medical Library’s specialist staff.

JGU students with an identity card for severely disabled people or a certificate from the “Office of Accessibility” can also borrow media from reference collections. To borrow, please come to the respective lending desk during regular service hours. The loan period is one week.

Are there any exceptions?
Manuscripts, Nachlasse (literary estates), autographs, old prints, media of particular value, and media published more than 100 years ago unfortunately cannot be borrowed. The same applies to microforms and media whose conservation status is endangered, other special collections and journal volumes.

JGU students with children can also borrow media from reference collections during regular service hours. All you have to do is present us with the child’s birth certificate (original or copy) and your identity card at the respective counter. The prerequisite is that your child is younger than 7 years of age. The loan period is one week.

Are there any exceptions?
Manuscripts, Nachlasse (literary estates), autographs, old prints, media of particular value, and media published more than 100 years ago unfortunately cannot be borrowed. The same applies to microforms and media whose conservation status is endangered, newspapers and special collections.

Such media can be borrowed if no suitable playback devices are available at the library. The loan period is one week.
We will be happy to advise you on site about special loan regulations for individual stock.

You can apply for a reading booth using this form (PDF). Those eligible for use are, in order, guest lecturers, doctoral candidates, and assistant professors at the Faculty of Law and Economics who do not have an office at the university. Severely disabled people are given priority. Please take note of our regulations for the use PDF) of the cabins.

You can extend the loan periods via your account in the research portal (“Checked out items”).
Alternatively, you can also renew by calling +49 6131 39-22213 or by emailing ausleihe@ub.uni-mainz.de.

The loan period will be extended by four weeks (from the day on which you extend it).

An extension of the loan period is not possible, for example, if

• a medium has already been extended five times
• the loan period has been exceeded
• it has been reserved
• it was ordered via interlibrary loan and the lending library does not allow an extension of the loan period.

In the research portal, click on “Recall This” for the desired title.
Enter your library card number and password on the following page and confirm the reservation.
As soon as the reserved title becomes available, you will be notified via e-mail, sent to the address linked to your account.

If you have placed a book on hold, you can cancel this in your account in the Research Portal (menu item “Holds and reservations”).

In your account, in the research portal (“Checked out items”), you can see when the loan period is up.

You will receive a reminder email from us three days before the end of the loan period to the email address in your user account.

Regardless of whether you receive the reminder email, there are fees for late returns.

You should always return the books back to the library from which they have been borrowed. Please use the self-service stations available there.

The devices are accessible during general opening hours.
At locations without self-service stations and in case of questions, please contact the specialist staff at the desks during service hours.

You can also ship back the books to the respective library. We recommend having additional shipping insurance for your package, as you bear the costs and risks of the return transport.

You will receive a return receipt for all returned media. Please also check the bookings in your library account. We can only process complaints upon presentation of the return receipt.

We charge a late fee of € 2 per item and week or part of a week of exceeding the deadline. For weekend loans from reference libraries, the late fee is € 1 per working day.

You can easily make any payments to us by bank transfer. Our bank account details are:

UB Mainz
IBAN: DE15 5535 0010 0200 1322 98
BIC: MALADE51WOR
Rheinhessen Sparkasse

Please be sure to enter your library card number and what kind of fees you would like to pay, e.g., late fee (“Säumnisgebühr”), annual fee (“Jahresgebühr”), etc., as Reason for Payment.

Alternatively, you can pay in cash at our circulation desks.

Please report this to the circulation desk immediately, so that there will be no late fees for the book:

• Mainz Phone: +49 6131 39-22213
• Germersheim Phone: +49 7274 508-35161

If the book does not turn up, you must cover the cost of the new purchase plus an €11 processing fee.

On our page Research Tips we have compiled the most important information in order to help you.

You can find information on individual subjects on our Subject Information pages.
You can also contact our subject librarians.

If the book you are looking for is not available at Mainz University Library, you can submit a purchase suggestion. Or you can order it from another library via interlibrary loan.

Printing and copying facilities are provided by the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV). You can find more information here.

You need a university account (students and university members of JGU) or a UB account.

Linked to this is a print/copy account, to which your printouts are charged.
Details can be found in this video by our Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV): Assign, top up, print—here’s how!

Detailed information can be found on the pages of ZDV.

Releasing print jobs—here’s how it works! (Video)

The total amount will be debited from your print/copy account immediately after the print job is released. Then the system checks the device to see how many pages have actually been printed and corrects the amount if necessary. If no correction has been made, please contact the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV).

You can transfer up to €10 per week. If the balance is larger, please contact the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV).

In this case, your password probably contains special characters or umlauts. Please change your password and delete any special characters or umlauts. Should the issue persist after making these changes, please contact the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV).

You can change your PIN at one of the print and copy service terminals using the “Change PIN” function.

At the service terminal, select the “Remove Assignment” function, log in with your account, and delete the assignment. You can then assign yourself a new card using the “Assign Card” function.

There can be various reasons for this:
Wrong printer: The wrong printer was selected when you submitted your print job. Please make sure that the printer “\jgu-ps-1.zdv.net\Drucken” is set by default.

Incorrect option selected in system notification: When printing PDFs, a window sometimes opens indicating a possible printing problem. Please select the last option here (“do not make any changes”), so that your print jobs can be started. 

Printing directly on the printer/copier is only possible for PDF and JPG formats. You must convert Word files to a PDF first.

Recommendation: Always print your file from a PC.

Unfortunately, the ZDV does not know the cause in these cases. In most cases it is the file. You are welcome to send your file to the ZDV to check.

The multifunctional printing and copying devices can also scan.

For book-friendly scanning, book scanners are also available in the Central Library and in the larger Branch Libraries (USB stick required). 

At Faculty 06, you can print in the rooms of the Computer Facilities for Research and Teaching (CAFL).

Two copiers are available in room 212. Color copies are possible. You can buy copy cards during the service hours at the information/lending desk.

A scanner is available in Room 221. The scans can be saved to a USB stick.

You can order literature from other libraries that is not available on-site.
If you need a recent title that the UB does not already own, or if there are too few copies of an existing one, please feel free to make a purchase recommendation.

Tip: If you are looking for international doctoral dissertations, we recommend first searching the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text database. This is the world’s most extensive collection of doctoral dissertations and theses. Many doctoral dissertations are available as full texts through the university network (via VPN or Remote desktop).

Users from Germersheim or Mainz can order media from the respective other library location for free! For more information: “How do I access media from Mainz in Germersheim?” and “How do I access media from Germersheim in Mainz?”

In addition to a valid library card, you need an interlibrary loan account.
Your interlibrary loan account operates on a credit basis. To set up an account or to deposit credit, please contact a circulation desk at one of the following locations:

Mainz

• Central Library
• Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library
• University Medical Library

Germersheim

• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library

To facilitate a largely contactless process, please fill out and sign the registration form (PDF) in advance and bring it with you. You can also send a scan of the signed form by e-mail to ausleihe@ub.uni-mainz.de. 

Payment of the interlibrary loan fee can be made on site in cash or by bank transfer to the following account:
UB Mainz
Rheinhessen Sparkasse

IBAN: DE15 5535 0010 0200 1322 98
BIC: MALADE51WOR

Please be sure to enter “Interlibrary loan fees” (“Fernleihgebühren”) and your library card number as Reason for Payment.

A processing fee of €2 applies to every order, even if the desired title cannot be delivered. The fee is debited automatically from the interlibrary loan account as soon as the order is sent. In some cases, additional costs may arise.

In the HeBIS portal, under the menu item “Login”, select your home library (“Mainz: University Library”) and log in with your library card number and password.

If you wish to order a book to borrow, please search using the details of the book (title, author or ISBN) and click on the “Request” button once you have found the correct result.

If you wish to order a journal article (you will receive a photocopy which you can keep), please search using the journal details (journal title, ISSN), NOT the article’s title. You enter the details about the article later on in the order form.

You can check the processing status of your interlibrary loan orders via your interlibrary loan account.

In the HeBIS portal, select your home library (“Mainz: University Library”) under the “Login” menu item and log in with your library card number and password. Go to the “Patron information” menu item at the top and select “Your account in the interlibrary loan system”. Once you have entered your password, you will see a list of your interlibrary loan orders, which you can click on individually.

Please note: It can take up to fourteen days from the message “ready for shipment” to the arrival of the delivery. You will receive a pick-up notification. If your status message is negative, you will receive feedback from us.

Yes, you will receive an e-mail notification.

It usually takes one to two weeks for your order to arrive.

Mainz: At the selected place of issue (collection shelf of the Central Library as with other orders, circulation desks of the Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library or of the University Medical Library). The ordered volumes will remain ready for you to pick up for two weeks.

Germersheim: Collection shelf of the Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library.
The ordered volumes will remain ready for you to pick up for two weeks.

The loan period is usually four weeks.
A renewal is possible, provided the library that supplied the book agrees.
Articles will be provided as photocopies.

You can extend loan periods for interlibrary loans via your user account in the research portal (menu item “Checked out items”).

An extension of the loan period, however, is only possible if the lending library allows it.
Note: The renewal is counted from the day you make it.

Most titles can be ordered via interlibrary loan.

Exceptions:

• daily and weekly newspapers as well as general-interest magazines (can be neither copied nor loaned)
• loose-leaf books (partial copies are possible)
• Master’s, Bachelor’s, Diploma, Admission, and Examination theses
• DIN Standards—you can view these at a Standards Infopoint
• particularly valuable works
• works of an unusual format
• works that are available in bookstores at a low price
• media not available in book form (e.g., slides, records, maps, plans, etc.) if, e.g. due to their nature, they are at risk of being damaged during shipment
• frequently used media, in particular those in textbook collections, reading rooms and reference libraries
• e-books

Testing material (psychological or medical tests) can only be ordered by people who can demonstrate a justified scientific interest. Please contact the information desk in the Central Library.

DIN standards and other technical rules can be viewed at one of the Standards Infopoints. The closest ones can be found in Darmstadt and Kaiserslautern.

Document delivery services like Subito are a lifesaver when you need your literature faster. However: It is more expensive and only available upon registration. In return, Subito will send books and articles directly to your home address.

Using the Internal Loan Service, members of the University Medical Center can access articles from medical journals for free.

Your benefits:

• short delivery time: one week
• convenient delivery: shipping by internal mail or collection at the University Medical Library
  Note: We are only allowed to provide photocopies of articles.
• free of charge: Should costs arise because the article is not available through the ILV libraries, we will contact you before we order it.

Order form

If you have any further questions, the following contacts can assist you.

The number of specimen copies needed depends on the doctoral dissertation’s form of publication. Details can be found under “Specimen copies”.

The printed copies can be handed in either by post or in person during service hours, at the University Medical Library or via the yellow box at the entrance of the Georg Forster Building library area.  

Mailing address:
Mainz University Library
Central Library
Jakob-Welder-Weg 6
55128 Mainz

Please note that we cannot issue a receipt, but a confirmation note will be sent directly to the respective faculty.

Find out about the requirements for electronic publication of your thesis. (Please pay particular attention to the checklist.)

Information on legal issues and licenses can be found on the Open Science help pages.

• save references in a database
• import data from library catalogs and other databases
• insert references into word processing programs with one click 
• automatically create bibliographies

• Students as well as doctoral and post-doc candidates: adding own summaries, notes, citations, etc. when studying specialist literature, textbooks, etc., managing literature to be used for their academic work
• Scientists and lecturers: using templates and citation styles for scientific journals, compilation of literature lists for seminars
• Workgroups: shared access to a data collection

The University Library and the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV) make reference management programs available to all JGU members. These can help you keep track of the increasing flood of information and publications.

Currently available at JGU:

• a campus license for Citavi
• for JGU institutions: favorable terms for purchasing EndNote
• for the University Medical Center: a framework license for EndNote

Other programs available on the market include:

• JabRef, Mendeley, Zotero (free software)
•  BibDesk, Papers (for MacOS only)

These differ in some respects, for example:

•     Platform (Windows, Mac OS, platform independent)
•     Client or web-based
•     Free or fee-based
•     Range of functions (knowledge organization, ability to work with a team, …)
•     Language

Citavi offers the usual functions of reference management (collecting, managing, and outputting references).
In addition, there are some special features:

• Knowledge Organizer (add content to title data using abstracts, citations, tables of contents, …)
• Task Planner (manage deadlines, such as loan periods)
• Citavi Picker, an add-on program to add websites, for example
• English-language interface and support
• Team version available (multiple people can work on Citavi projects simultaneously in local networks)

The University Library and the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV) have entered into a campus license agreement for Citavi for Mainz University. The contract currently runs until the end of 2023 and entitles all of the university’s employees and students to use the software during this time.

You can obtain the software directly from the provider’s website. 

This is primarily the free version (Citavi Free), which can be converted into the full version by registering on the www.citavi.com/uni-mainz website. Please note that you must enter your work/student e-mail address. 

Attend one of our Citavi courses.

Citavi’s website offers numerous tutorials and lots of information:

• Overview
• Forum and FAQ
• Citavi Manual

EndNote offers the usual functions of reference management (collect, manage, and output references). There are also many predefined citation styles for various journals, especially in the field of medicine and natural sciences.

JGU institutions can purchase EndNote at discounted rates through the Data Center (Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung, ZDV).

Mainz University Medical Center has acquired a framework license of the EndNote software for its employees and students. We have compiled detailed information on this.

Anyone can create a web-based EndNote Basic account for free. However, the range of functions is significantly limited compared to the single-user version.

If you have any questions, please contact the University Medical Library via e-mail: bbum@ub.uni-mainz.de 

Attend one of our EndNote courses offered by the University Medical Library.

The EndNote website provides further information and instructions, for example:

• Online tutorials

Many professors put together so-called course reserves.
What’s special about it: The media on reserve are in one place for a semester, can be used in the library and copied in excerpts, but not borrowed.

Please inquire about the location of your subjects in your library on site.

We will be happy to set up a course reserve for you.

Mainz:
Please submit your literature list to the appropriate branch library or the Central Library at least four weeks before you want it to be available.

Germersheim: 
Please hand in the media for the course reserve to the circulation desk at least four weeks before you want it to be available.

For information on how to set up an electronic course reserve, please visit JGU’s e-learning website.

Current, printed editions are available in:

Mainz

• Law and Economics Library
• University Medical Library

Germersheim

• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library

The newspapers may only be used in the reading rooms.

You can find information about the printed newspaper holdings and electronic editions in the research portal.

You can access our licensed electronic resources in a number of ways:

On the Mainz/Germersheim campus:

• with a university account on all PCs as well as via the Wi-Fi network
• with a UB account on selected devices in the Central Library and the branch libraries

Off campus:

• with a university account via VPN or remote desktop (unfortunately, not possible with a UB account)

The terms of use can be found on the publishers or the database providers’ websites.

In general:

• Full texts may only be printed or saved for personal and research purposes.
• Systematic downloading of articles or search results, in particular by robots, is prohibited.
• You may not pass on articles to third parties, neither electronically nor in printed form.
• Violations of the respective terms of use may result in providers or publishers blocking access to full texts.

Please use the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, or Opera to avoid access problems and to ensure that you can access all functions.
Internet Explorer is outdated and no longer supported by Microsoft. As a result, it is no longer compatible with all platforms on which our licensed electronic products are offered.

If you have access problems, please contact: e-medien@ub.uni-mainz.de

You are neither a JGU student nor a member of JGU? Then you need a “UB Account” for printing, copying, and accessing licensed electronic media on site.

Required: valid library card from Mainz University Library
To set up the account, please come to one of the circulation desks and bring your library card with you:

Mainz

• Central Library 
• Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library
• University Medical Library

Germersheim

• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library

With your university account, you can log into the Wi-Fi on the Mainz and Germersheim campuses (unfortunately, not possible with a UB account). You can find instructions on the ZDV website.

As a member of another university participating in the European eduroam network, you can connect to the eduroam Wi-Fi by logging in with your home university’s account.

At the end of 2017, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) terminated the license agreement for the “Freedom Collection” e-journal package and did not renew the license agreement for e-journals from Cell Press Publishers, part of Elsevier Group. JGU is therefor one of the approximately 200 universities, colleges, and research institutions that have terminated their Elsevier subscriptions.

Elsevier blocked unrestricted access to e-journals, which was still granted during the ongoing negotiations, on 10 July 2018. As a result, JGU no longer has access to content published after 31 December 2017 and to content for which there are no archive rights.

Mainz University Library offers JGU employees and students an opportunity to order free of charge, so that they can continue to use articles from Elsevier journals that are no longer accessible due to the termination.

Alternatively, JGU researchers can place an order with direct delivery services via a personal account and have the costs reimbursed upon request (PDF).

Here you can find overviews (PDF) of Elsevier e-journals

• which are permanently available due to acquired archive rights.
• which are no longer available after 1 January 2018.

The termination was due to the unsatisfactory negotiations between the DEAL project group and Elsevier Publishing regarding nationwide license agreements. Through the negotiations, the project group wishes to secure a simple, future-oriented calculation model that is based on the volume of publications and which makes publications by authors from German institutions Open Access. The client for the project is the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany, represented by the German Rectors’ Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, HRK).

After the final date of negotiations with Elsevier on 3 July 2018, with no discernible progress regarding the objectives of the DEAL project, the project group suspended negotiations. You can find out more in a HRK press release.

A large part of the media at our locations is arranged thematically according to various cataloging systems.

• Georg Forster Building Library
• Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology Library
• Humanities Library
• Law and Economics Library
• Theology Library
• Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies Library
• University Medical Library
• Central Library

Simply contact a member of staff at one of the information or circulation desks on site. Or send us an email at info@ub.uni-mainz.de. We will be happy to assist you!

You are welcome to offer donations that add value to our media collections.
The subject librarian in charge will decide whether your donation is accepted and where the media are placed.

The media must correspond to our acquisition profile, which is primarily oriented at the focuses of research, teaching, and studying at Mainz University. They must also be in good condition.

• Please contact us in advance via email. We may then ask you to provide a list of the books intended for donation.
• Duplicates are generally not accepted. Therefore, before handing over the donated media, they should be checked against our library catalog.
• The donor is responsible for the delivery of the donation. There will be no reimbursement.
• Unsolicited donations will not be returned.
• Conditions made for the donation (e.g. special identification, separate or closed location, usage restrictions) cannot in general be accepted.
• Upon handing over the media, the donor submits a written statement (PDF), through which unrestricted right of disposal of the media is permanently transferred to Mainz University Library. Media that are not incorporated into the collection may be disposed of, given away, used for a book bazaar, sold to secondhand bookshops, or given away to another library.

Acceptance of donations is based on purely objective criteria, irrespective of the person or function of the donor(s).

In duly justified cases, the library’s head will decide on exceptions of the points mentioned above.