Borrowing from the Zentralbibliothek Zürich

Who can borrow books and media?

The Zentralbibliothek Zürich is available free of charge to anyone wishing to use it. To get a library account, register with the national network of libraries Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP).

• register as individual
• register as institution (companies, libraries etc.)

You can access the following services:

Once you have registered, your library account is immediately valid for all libraries in the SLSP network. We will be happy to issue your personal library card to you at one of our counters. If you are a university member, you can use your UniCard.

You can allow someone you trust to borrow items for you on the basis of a power of attorney.

Sans-Papiers may also borrow items available at the Zentralbibliothek Zürich. For further information and registration, please contact the Sans-Papiers Anlaufstelle Zürich (SPAZ).

Borrowing books and media

Our holdings are divided into freely accessible areas and closed stacks. Check the location of the items you are looking for in swisscovery. 

• Books available for loan that are in our freely accessible areas can be taken from the shelf in the open stacks and booked to your account at the self-service machine in reading room P 0. Our plan will help you find your way around the stacks.
• Books and media from the closed stacks and our external stores can be ordered for home delivery or to view in our reading room. Sign in to swisscovery using your library login.
• Media that are available for home loan can be posted to your home address or sent via courier to another SLSP library for collection there. Please note the fees for these services.
• If there is no order link in the catalogue, complete the “Neue ZB-Magazinbestellung” (“New ZB closed stacks order”) form. For a new Master’s thesis (less than 5 years old), you require the consent of the author.
• If you cannot find what you are looking for, extend your search to the swisscovery research platform. If you are still unsuccessful, either investigate our courier and interlibrary loan services or suggest an acquisition.

Loan periods

Books:

• 4 weeks
• 5 automatic extensions unless the item has been reserved

DVDs:

• 1 week
• 5 automatic extensions unless the item has been reserved

You can check the loan periods at any time in your library account. Please note that if you fail to return items on time you will begin to receive overdue notices, for which a charge is made.

You can borrow up to 100 media from the libraries of the University of Zurich and Zentralbibliothek Zürich at any one time.

Returns

During opening hours, use the self-return machine in the foyer.

Outside opening hours, use the self-return machine in Chorgasse, which you can open using your library card.

You can also send your media by post, ideally as registered mail. You are responsible for items you return in this way. The date on which the item arrives in the ZB will be regarded as the return date.

Contact

Do you need support? We are here for you.