Literature Search – University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg

What is a Semesterapparat (course reserved reading)?

Nora Strauß — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:08:36 +0000

The University Library reserves and compiles a set of media for lecturers for seminars, lectures, and similar events. This is called a Semesterapparat. These are usually available at the departmental library of the lecturer’s department. For example, a lecturer of pedagogy would order a Semesterapparat from the Departmental Library of Educational Science, Philosophy, and Psychology. Semesterapparate are usually available for the duration of a semester. The books in them are not for loan and are marked as such in the catalog.

For more information, please consult a librarian.

What should I keep in mind when using electronic journals?

Nora Strauß — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:01:29 +0000

E-journals are listed in the University Library (UB) catalog and the Electronic Journals Library (EZB).

Searching the catalog has the added benefit of finding printed editions available at the UB. The UB catalog only lists e-journals that are fully available, while the EZB also lists journals that are only partially or not accessible. Often, you can find a table of contents or an abstract.

Please note that more than one URL may be listed in the catalog. For ease of use, simply click the Full Text button to access a journal.

The Electronic Journals Library (EZB) provides quick, structured, and uniform access to full-text scientific journals. The degree to which you have access to the journals is indicated by a system of traffic light symbols.
Titles that the UB has licensed are marked yellow. In such a case, please also consult the respective readme. It will inform you how to access the electronic full texts.

Most licensed journals are only available within the network of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg.

If you have questions or are having trouble accessing a specific journal, please ask a librarian.

What does SFX mean?

Ulrike Riedlberger — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:53:03 +0000

SFX is a linking service that connects literature research databases to those offering full texts, tables of contents, bibliographic data, and more.

SFX provides additional literature research possibilities, such as links to other search engines, research services from other catalogs, and links to fee-based document delivery services like Subito.
For more information, please visit the SFX page. If you have any questions, please contact the SFX-team.

How can I access the literature that I found in a database?

Ulrike Riedlberger — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:46:58 +0000

Often, databases do not provide full texts. Therefore, look for the respective medium in our catalog afterwards or in the Electronic Journal Library (EZB).
Many databases are directly connected to the catalogue through the SFX button.

Where can I find the university library’s databases?

Isabelle Delker — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:39:01 +0000

Use the following link: Database Information System (DBIS)
There, you can find descriptions and annotations for using and accessing all the databases.

How can I find papers and articles from journals?

Nora Strauß — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:35:09 +0000

In the catalog, you will find articles from many electronic resources licensed by the library, as well as others. After entering search terms into the catalog, access the Articles & more tab.
If you are looking for articles on a specific topic, we recommend to first start looking in databases and bibliographies.
If you have not searched a database that provides full texts, you can then check if an article from a specific journal is available in the catalog, or in the Electronic Journals Library (EZB). If the University Library (UB) owns a license to the respective journal, you should be able to access it from there.
Are you looking for a specific article from a particular journal and want to know if it is available at the UB?
Start by searching the catalog or the Electronic Journals Library (EZB) using the journal’s title to see if the UB owns or has licensed the volume in question.

What should I do if the results of a literature search in the local catalog do not meet my requirements?

Nora Strauß — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:27:19 +0000

If searching our catalog did not offer a satisfactory result to you, you can expand your search to the Karlsruher Virtual Catalog. Order the media you need in the our catalog by clicking on “Tools / Interlibrary Loan Request” in the top right corner: Instructions for Interlibrary Loan Request

If you are looking for subject-specific information on a particular topic, we recommend using the database information system (DBIS).

What is a shelfmark?

Nora Strauß — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:48:24 +0000

A shelfmark indicates the exact location of a book within a library’s collection. It consists of letters and/or numbers and is usually generated according to this rule: Location + book-specific part.

The first “location” part shows which library the medium is located in.

Examples of shelf marks at the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB) include

H00 2007 A 1236 (location: main library, stack).
T35 2000-54 (Location: Science and Technology Branch Library, Dissertations)
10GB WT 1004 B959 (Location: Biology Departmental Library)

For information on all the locations at the UB and where to find them, please refer to Locations & Opening Hours.

The shelfmark is typically placed on the back of the book.

How to get the literature I found in the catalog?

Nora Strauß — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:36:06 +0000

Each result in the catalog shows the options available for borrowing and ordering. The most important options are:

Available on site / available in the departmental library:
These are items that you can pick up from the shelves yourself. After picking them up, you can check them out.

For order / for order via the branch library delivery service:
These are items that are stored in stacks or at other locations. To obtain these items, you must first order them. After a certain amount of time, they will be ready for you to pick up at the location you chose. Please see the notes regarding branch orders.
Not for loan:
These are materials that must be present at the library at all times and cannot be borrowed. These materials can only be read in the reading room. You may be able to copy some pages out of them if you would like to.

How can you find literature on a specific topic in the catalog?

Nora Strauß — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:29:39 +0000

The catalog allows you to conduct specific literature research using a title and/or keyword search.

In the simple search or in the All Fields search box in the advanced search, you can search for titles and subject headings simultaneously, regardless of whether you mean the title of the work or the topic it concerns (Subject Heading).

A title word is a word that must be included in the book’s title. It is written in the correct grammatical form of its respective language. Abbreviations can also be used and are marked with a truncation mark (). For example, automat can be used to find hits such as automat, automatic, oder automatisch.

A subject heading is a standardized term (usually in German and singular) that describes the content of a medium, regardless of its title. For example: Using the subject heading “Tropischer Regenwald,” you will find the book Brazil and Climate Change.