#THinsights

Changes in the library

“My new favorite corner”

Put your feet up and work in a relaxed atmosphere: Thanks to the refurbishing of the first floor of the university library, this is now possible. The new reading corner with armchairs and comfortable upholstered chairs invites you to read or study in a less rigid environment. The university library team is pleased that the place is already proving popular.

Ianne Maksimova, a second-semester business student, calls the reading corner her new favorite place in the library. She uses her computer tablet to work here. “This has been my favorite corner since the renovation,” she says, “I used to like sitting down below.” By below, she means the area opposite the entrance, where empty shelves were replaced with seating groups several years ago. The new reading corner is located on the first floor, facing the campus.

Library manager Frank Seeliger is delighted that the newly designed area has been so well received. Everyone on the team pitched in – with their hands or with ideas. Old, empty shelves were removed and comfortable furniture was put in their place. “The empty shelves were a nuisance, and students wanted a change too,” he says, “so we responded to that”.

A second living room

The corner is now being used well, not only by students, but also by professors who enjoy the quiet and pleasant atmosphere here. It would be nice if people would accept the room as a kind of “second living room,” says Anja Petrick, who is responsible for inventory management in the library. She invites everyone to use the reading corner as they wish.

17,000 newspapers and magazines in subscription

The two seating islands in the reading corner are separated by a magazine rack. Here, 70 printed editions of newspapers or specialist magazines, such as the renowned “Science” magazine, are available – they represent only a fraction of the 17,000 newspapers and magazines to which the university library subscribes and that can be researched via the Wilbert search engine.

Less space for books, more space for people“

Carolin Rau, who is responsible for user services and therefore has a particular interest in how users access the library's resources, was also involved in designing the reading corner. She is pleased that the space upstairs is now being used much better. Such space was not always available: shortly before the corona pandemic, the collection was drastically reduced because some of the titles on the shelves were outdated or not in use anymore.

The pandemic then brought a surge in digital use – and the empty shelves remained empty. Now that people are back to working and reading in the library, this space can be used to create a pleasant atmosphere.