Circulation

The activated FAUcard serves as a library card for students, researchers, and employees of Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU), as well as members of the Graduate Center. You can activate it through the IdM homepage. A manual on how to activate the library function of the FAUcard can be found on this page.

If you are research staff at FAU but have not received an FAUcard, it may be because you are not regularly employed at FAU. In this case, you can obtain a library card for external users.

Members of the public (ages 16 and older) need a library card from the University Library of Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB) to borrow books. There is a 5.00€ fee for issuance. A €5 note is required for payment. You must provide a German registration address.

Members of the University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg can use their OHMcard to register as a user of the university library. The UB does not accept a PDF ID card with a barcode issued by the University of Applied Sciences; an additional UB library card must be obtained for a fee.

You can obtain a library card at the following locations of the University Library:

• Main Library Erlangen,
  Schuhstraße 1a, 91052 Erlangen
• Science and Technology Branch Library,
  Erwin-Rommel-Straße 60, 91058 Erlangen
• Economic and Social Sciences Branch Library
  Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg
• Educational Science Branch Library
  Regensburger Straße 160, 90478 Nürnberg

An identity card or passport is required for issuance.
For library users who are under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must complete and sign the consent form.
By registering as a library user, you accept the General Regulations on the Use of Bavarian Public Libraries (ABOB).

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, you must present a passport with a valid residence authorization for at least three months. Alternatively, you can provide a residence title.

Your FAUcard comes with a UB-ID (University Library User ID).
In order to use it to borrow books from the library, you must accept the “General Regulations on the Use of Bavarian Public Libraries” (ABOB) online.
To do so, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to the IdM Portal.
2. Click Requests/Tasks in the upper menu bar.
3. Confirm library card activation and follow the instructions.
4. Accept the terms and conditions of use to activate your card.

Please confirm the activation was successful afterwards.

1. Click on Self Service in the upper menu bar.
2. Scroll down to the Services section to see if “University Library” is listed as active.
   If so, your FAUcard has been activated successfully.
   If not, please check that you have completed the activation process correctly (see above).
   It takes a few minutes for the card to activate.

Please note that your FAUcard can only be used for borrowing starting the day after activation, or two days after in certain cases.

FAU-Students
Your FAUcard will be with you throughout your entire time at FAU.
The expiration date is printed on the card, and it can be renewed every semester at validation machines after re-registering for the next semester.
After you are exmatriculated, your FAUcard expires.
If you wish to continue using the University Library’s services, please contact our staff at the information desks.

Researchers and FAU employees
The validity period of your FAUcard depends on your employment status:

• If you are a fixed-term employee, your FAUcard will be valid until your contract ends.
• Regular employees usually receive a FAUcard that does not expire. However, the validity period printed on the card is set to five years.
  You can renew this period at a validation machine anytime while you are still employed.

After your contract has ended, your FAUcard will also expire. If you wish to continue using the University Library’s services, please contact our staff at the information desks.

External users
Your library card is valid for one year. You can renew it once every year for another year.
If you have not used the library’s services for at least two years, your personal data will be deleted automatically.

Your library card number is 11 digits long. You will find your library card number on your FAUcard or library card, starting with either 028 or 056. (for library users who have registered with their OHMcard).

The password is preset to your birthday in the format day-month-year, for example, 17051982. This feature protects your personal data from unauthorized access.

Please change this password to a personal password in the catalog via the Account / Renewal – Personal Data – Change Password to a personal password function. The new password must consist of at least eight and no more than 12 characters. . You can use letters, numbers, and special characters, except for backslash () and asterisk (=). Please note that the password is case-sensitive.
We recommend changing your password regularly.

If you have forgotten your password, you can request a new one. When logging into your catalog account, click the “Forgot Password?” button. You will then receive a new password via email.

Media available for loan at the Main Library (HB), the Science and Technology Branch Library (TNZB), the Economic and Social Sciences Branch Library (WSZB), and the Educational Sciences Branch Library (EZB) typically circulate for four weeks. Please note that certain types of media, such as periodical volumes or reading room only media, or media already reserved by multiple people, have shorter lending periods.

Lending periods for media from departmental libraries (shelf marks ranging from 01 to 18 and 98SP) may be limited; sometimes, borrowing is not possible.
Further information on the specific borrowing conditions for each medium can be found in the catalog under “Location guide.”

You can borrow a maximum of 100 items at a time.

You can check your borrowed media, orders, and reservations at any time through your personal account. After logging in, click Account/Renewal in the catalog.

The Loans, Requests, Reservations, Fines, FAUdok, and ILL: Copies and E-Books submenus will inform you of the current state of your account.

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Log in to your account via the Account/Renewal tab in the catalog using your UB ID number and password. Your account balance shows all borrowed media. You can now extend the loan period of individual items or renew your entire account. Please note that you can only renew items ten working days before the loan period ends.

Before the deadline, we will send you an email reminding you to return your media on time. Nevertheless, please check your personal account regularly. There, you will find the current, binding lending periods for your items.

For students only: Please bear in mind that the email address used for email correspondence is, by default, your FAU student email address. If you would like emails sent to a different address, add the new address to your user data in the catalog.

Charge Collection Procedure

If you forget to return your media on time, we are obligated to charge you. The amount charged is according to the Bavarian Cost Law. After receiving the warning letter, please return the requested media immediately. Otherwise, you risk additional charges.

Please pay any outstanding fees at a payment terminal using your FAUcard, OHMcard, library card, or guest card from the Studentenwerk.

Reclaim Procedure

For research staff members, a reclaim procedure will be initiated after the deadline has expired. If you fail to return the media, you will be responsible for paying for the new literature that will be purchased as a substitute.

If you need literature that has been checked out by another user, you can usually reserve it through the catalog.

• First, select the location where you would like to pick up the item.
• Search the catalog for the desired item.
• Click on the item. This will also give you an overview of potentially available duplicates..
• Click on “Status”; the item will be reserved after you enter your UB ID and your password.
• If more than one copy is available, you will receive the first available copy.
• If, after a year, you still have not received the desired medium, your reservation will be deleted automatically. If you do not want your reservation deleted, you can manually enter a different deletion date via the calendar.

Once you have reserved a medium, the current borrower will no longer be able to extend the lending period. Please note that the estimated return date is not final. The eventual availability of the medium depends on its timely return and other reservations.
You can view an overview of your currently reserved media online via your library account. Select “Check Reservations” to view the current status of your reserved books.

We will notify you via email or in writing when your reservation is ready to be picked up.
Please note that the email address used for email correspondence is, by default, your FAU student email address. If you would like to receive emails at a different address, please add it to your user data in the catalog.

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When accessing the catalog, you must select the location where you would like to pick up the ordered media. After researching the literature, select your preferred medium by clicking on it. Then, under the sub-point “Copies,” click “Order.” Enter your login data. After selecting the delivery location (for example, Reading Room or Service Counter), the catalog will show you when the item will be ready for pickup.

Both your regular orders and interlibrary loans will be ready for pickup at your chosen location for one week.

If you lose or damage a borrowed book (or any part of it), you must pay compensation. If this happens, please report to the location from which you borrowed the book. The staff will determine how you should provide compensation.
Doing so will save you from the trouble of a charge collection procedure and possibly a suspension of your library account.

All FAU members must report address changes themselves via the IdM homepage, where they can assign one address to the university library.
Please note that, by default, the email address used for email correspondence is your FAU email address. If you would like emails sent to a different address, add the new address to your user data in the catalog.
External users and those without an FAUcard must inform our staff immediately of any change of address. You can do so by contacting our staff at the information desks or by sending us a message via an online inquiry.

If you lose your FAUcard, you can block it in the IdM portal. If necessary, you can unblock it again. Replacement cards are issued by the FAUcard Service Office. Please apply for a replacement card online via the IdM portal.

For all other library users: If you have lost your library card, please report the loss immediately to one of our lending desks to avoid any potential misuse by third parties. Once you have found your card, we will unblock your library account.
If required, we will issue you a replacement card for a fee of €5.00.

To block and later unblock the payment function in the event of loss of your library card, send an email with your FPM ID to info@werkswelt.de. It is best to note down or photograph the FPM number on the back of the new library card immediately after it has been issued.

Under special conditions, it is possible to return borrowed media by mail:

• Please notify the library location where you borrowed the media of the return via mail (for telephone numbers and addresses, see Locations).
• Send the media to the branch library or departmental library where you borrowed them.
• Pack the media so that they will not be damaged, as you are liable for any damage or loss.
• Enclose an informal letter with your name, library card number (or UB ID), and clearly visible keyword “Book Return.”
• Add the department “Lending” to the addressee’s name.
• We recommend returning the book by parcel so that the shipment is insured and can be tracked.
• Please allow sufficient time for postal dispatch to avoid exceeding the loan period. Postal dispatch does not suspend the issuance of cost-related reminders. The return date is when the parcel arrives at the respective loan desk.
• Please check your library account in the catalog to see if the return was successful.