University Library

Amberg Library:
bibam@oth-aw.de
(+49) 9621 482 3215
Weiden Library:
bibwen@oth-aw.de
(+49) 961 382 1203

Current information

Library for "Erstis"- library introductions for the new semester

How does the 24-hour library work? How does the lending process work? How do I find suitable literature (e-books, printed books...) for my lectures?

All these questions are answered in our library introductions!

We will start at October 9th, you can choose between appointments on site or online via BigBlueButton:

On site in our libraries with the app Actionbound (in German and English): 

Monday and Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday and Thursday at 1:15 p.m.

Weiden library: Please register by putting your name in the lists at the library.

Amberg Library: Participation without prior registration, just drop by!

 

Online via BigBlueButton (without registration, just click on the link on the desired date!):

German:
Wednesday 2:30 p.m.
with this link: https://bbb.oth-aw.de/rooms/pas-emn-jbv-qsm/join

English:
Thursday 4 p.m. with this link: https://bbb.oth-aw.de/rooms/fis-ilc-rt9-rpe/join

Opening hours during lecture-free period

From 1st of August to 30th of September, the libraries will be open for a shorter period:

Amberg:
Mon - Fri: 9 am - 2 pm

Weiden:
Mon - Thurs: 9 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 4 pm
Fri.: 9 am - 1 pm

Regular opening hours will apply again from 1st of October.

The 24-hour access is of course always available!

IEEE Explore / IEEE-IET Electronic Library Online

All university members now have access to the full-text database of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest association of electrical and computer engineers.

What does the IEL contain?

  •     over 1 million journal articles from 205 IEEE journals
  •     over 4 million conference papers
  •     5,000 standards of the IEEE
  •     over 6,000 e-books (not licensed by us)
  •     ongoing updates

for electrical engineering, electronics, measurement and control engineering, computer science and related fields such as geosciences, nuclear sciences, energy, photonics and electrochemistry, mechanical engineering, materials science ...

What else should I know?

  • External access via VPN client
  • Limit your search results: Activate "subscribed content" on the left
  • Search language is English
  • Systematic data download is not permitted
  • Tutorial for Basic search
  • Tutorial for Advanced search

Access to Scopus database

We now offer permanent access to the literature and citation database Scopus:

  •     multidisciplinary abstract and citation database for research literature and high-quality internet sources (peer-reviewed).
  •     various tools for tracking, analysing and visualising research information from all subject areas
  •     citations of scientific articles (references and citations), which enable citation analyses (Who cites whom? Who is cited by whom?).
  •     The analysis starts with the publication year 1996.


Contents:

  •     Literature references and abstracts from more than 23,500 peer-reviewed journals (49 million!), i.e. few full texts
  •     Patent specifications and conference papers
  •      Author profiles
  •     for all articles published since 1996, references in addition to the abstract, many of them in linked form
  •     Links to full-text articles and other bibliographic sources
  •     Open Access and electronic-only journals
  •     Book Titles
  •     Search language is English

 

What does "available (in other branch)" mean in the OPAC?

Due to a system migration, it is currently not possible for Weiden users to order books from the Amberg Provincial Library via the OPAC.

If you would like to order a book that has the status " available (in other branch)", please contact us with the details of the book (author, title, year or ISBN). Preferably by e-mail to: bibwen@oth-aw.de.

We will be happy to order the title for you via interlibrary loan from another library!

 

New on offer: Elsevier journals

The university has signed a new contract between the DEAL consortium and the scientific publisher Elsevier. The transformative open access contract includes read access as well as an open access publication option for researchers at the university.

What's inside?

  •     Approx. 1,800 scientific journals and 50 journals from The Lancet and Cell Press
  •     Broad range of subjects from social sciences / economics and life sciences to physical sciences and engineering

What are the aims of DEAL?

  •     Better information supply for universities with up-to-date knowledge
  •     Transition to a new publication-orientated financing model "Publish and read"
  •     Promotion of open access and thus better visibility of research and science
  •     Broader reach of scientific input

 

 

Our new sustainability campaign - donate your old glasses

The library has a new offer - this time together with the ecumenical university chaplaincy, we collect old glasses which are first cleaned and then distributed worldwide to people in need of visual aid.

By reusing existing glasses, resources are conserved. Residual materials that can no longer be used are recycled according to type.

Glasses of all kinds (including sunglasses, damaged spectacles or spectacle frames) and even hearing aids can be donated to our collection boxes for the "Brillen weltweit" campaign of the Catholic Association for the Blind.

The collection boxes can be found in the foyer of the OTH library in Amberg and in the copy box of the OTH library in Weiden.
There are also collection boxes in the Weiden Regional Library, the Provincial Library and the Amberg City Library.

Take part, provide a new perspective and protect the environment with us!

Read the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" online

A permanent access to the german Süddeutsche Zeitung archive (Library Net) is now available to all university members.

What's inside?

  •     Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany, Bavaria and Munich editions) from 1992 to the daily news
  •     SZ county editions from 1994
  •     SZ supplements like SZ Magazin, jetzt, SZ für Kinder

How does it work?

  •     Campus-wide activation for all OTH members
  •     Access from outside via VPN (please use VPN Forticlient!)
  •     thematic search or search by date (via "calendar")
  •     Download and print


Any more questions?
Feel free to contact us via e-mail to bib@oth-aw.de!

Going green@your library - more sustainability on campus

Going green@your library - join in! Your contribution counts, too!

 

Scan first: scan for free with our Bookeye instead of paying for copying (saves money and paper).

Use our greaseproof paper tray and deposit faulty or superfluous printouts here.

In our recycling station we collect with your help

  •    deposit bottles for Africa (www.teog.de - Technology without Borders) -only in Amberg
  •     empty batteries
  •     old CDs, CD-Roms and DVDs –only in Amberg
  •     new until Christmas: Campaign "Mobile phones for bumblebee, bee &Co". Dispose of your old devices (cell phone, smartphone, tablet, power supply, charging cable, headset) in our collection box and support an environmental protection project of NABU. 
    More info at www.NABU.de/handyrecycling.

APA PsycArticles

After the successful trial access to the journals of the APA (American Psychological Association), we are now able to offer the database permanently thanks to financial support from the Weiden Business School.

The database is offered on the platform of EBSCO. Convenient, since we have also licensed the Business Source Elite for business here, as well as numerous e-books from many disciplines.

How does it work?
Students and employees in the university network or from outside via VPN (VPN Forticlient only!) can access the database via this link: to search APA PsycArticles
After the search you will get a hit list, which you may already know from other databases of ours (e.g. the EBSCO Business Source). For each hit you can click on "PDF Fulltext" either directly in the hit list or in the single hit view. Please note: the PDF is usually downloaded immediately and not opened in the browser. You will find it saved in the downloads of your PC.

Access to the digital books of the Herdt publishing house

The e-books of the Herdt publishing house are accessible. This is one of the market leaders for teaching and learning materials for IT competence and a cooperation partner of the RRZN (Regional Computing Centre for Lower Saxony). Numerous RRZN publications have been produced in cooperation with the publishing house.


What's inside?

  • Approx. 850 e-books on over 500 IT topics
  • Digital supplementary media for many books such as learning videos, exercises, knowledge tests, etc.

How does it work?

  • Campus-wide activation for all OTH members
  • Remote access via VPN
  • Topic search
  • Overview of content under "Favourites" on the entry page (scroll down!)
  • Download and printing

New german online journal "Physician Assistant"

From now on, students and employees of the OTH AW have online access to the german journal "Physician Assistant" via the following link in the university network and via VPN: journal "Physician Assistant"

Please use only the VPN Forticlient to access the journal from outside the university.

Some more information about the usage:

The journal is only available in German.

To view archived issues, you need to activate the slider at "archived only" in the top bar.

You can also create a personal account (by clicking on the "Log in" button), with this you can, among other things:

  • create/edit/delete bookmarks
  • mark text passages in different colors
  • add pictures, sound recordings or comments to selected text passages
  • Use the extensive search function, e.g. full text search or web search.

You can also use the platform without a personal account, you only need to be logged into the university network/VPN to access the content.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions about this online journal.

New York Times online

Haven't you always wanted to read the prestigious New York Times and keep up with daily news from around the world? We now provide it!

Read the Times either via the VPN client or install the newspaper as an app on your smartphone or tablet. This will allow you to read the Times outside of the campus network.

How to access via the mobile app:

  •     Create a free account at nytimes.com/passes using your OTH email address.
  •     Click on the link in the confirmation email.
  •     Download the NYTimes mobile app at: nytimes.com/mobile
  •     If they see the "Start your access" screen, your installation was successful

 

 

NWB Tax and Studies

From now on you have access to the module "Tax and Studies" " of the NWB-Verlag. The online database for prospective tax professionals offers specialist articles from the renowned journal NWB Steuer und Studium and the exam training course Steuer-Repetitor online .
Tax and Studies

The database is activated campus-wide and accessible from outside via the VPN-Client (unfortunately the VPN web portal does not work here).

information sheet on e-books

How do I find e-books in OPAC? How can I access e-books from home? How do I download e-books?

All these questions – and many more – are summarized in our new information handout. In individual steps, the functions in the OPAC regarding e-books and also the VPN access are explained here.

Curious? Download here directly: information handout e-books

Individual research support via video conference

Are you writing your bachelor, master or project thesis and need support with literature research and citation? We are also there for you in the Corona crisis!

Arrange your individual consultation appointment and you will find it easier to find your way through the jungle of databases, e-books and Google Scholar.

Please contact Ms Monika Pastuska by mail (m.pastuska@oth-aw.de) to make an appointment.

The locker rental service in Amberg starts!

From Monday, 20.01.2020 you can rent a locker in the Amberg Library.

How? Just get a key at the counter and have it booked there. With the key you open your locker and insert the yellow chip before closing. The key can also be returned at the counter.

For how long? 4 weeks with two extensions (like books)
A reminder fee is due if the loan period is exceeded.

What happens if keys are lost?
Unfortunately, it gets really expensive, because you have to pay at least 50 €. We will only know the current prices in February. So it is better to watch out for them.

Please do not keep any perishable food in it! We cannot accept any liability.

Hanser eLibrary via VPN

Due to increased enquiries here an information about Hanser eLibrary:

This can only be accessed externally via the Windows FortiClient VPN and not via the VPN web portal, as the Hanser platform and the web portal do not match in terms of data technology.

The VPN client that you should install on your PC/laptop is always the better choice, which provides reliable results. The web portal is an additional tool that does not work with every database.

E-Book offer from de Gruyter

On the de Gruyter platform you can access the e-book offerings of the publishers de Gruyter, Birkhäuser, Oldenbourg, Transcript and Harvard University Press.

Over 30,000 titles in German and English from all relevant subject areas may be read, printed and stored. Download is only possible chapter by chapter.

Access is possible via the campus network, for members of the OTH via the VPN client also from outside the university network. You do not need a login, but can start a search directly!

Initially, the programme will run until the end of March 2020, after which the best-used e-books will be permanently acquired for our stock. In case of good use, we will consider an extension.

 

NEW: Information sheets with instructions for OPAC and interlibrary loan

How do I order a book? Where can I renew my account? And how does an article order via interlibrary loan actually work?

All these questions - and many more - are summarised in compact form in our information sheets, which you can download here on the website under "Search and Find". In individual steps the functions of the local catalogue as well as the interlibrary loan of books or articles in copy are explained here.

 

 

 

Have you become curious? Have a look here directly:

Information handout OPAC Weiden
Information handout OPAC Amberg

Information handout Interlibrary loan

Information handout Odering articles via ILL

Of course, the library team will also be happy to explain the procedures personally and help with any further problems. Please feel free to contact us!

NEW: Powerbanks for rent

Recently we have Powerbanks with USB cable for rent!

The external batteries with a capacity of
20,000 mAh have 2 USB ports
and an LED display.

Loan period: 14 days, extension if necessary

Please return the goods only at the counter and do not throw them into the return container!

Mass download of e-books at Springer

According to the publisher Springer, there was an unusually high download rate of e-books, particularly on 10 and 11 March, which far exceeded the usual level.

The culprit has been identified and will face consequences.

We expressly draw attention to this fact:

  • The generous use of Springer e-books (download of the entire book) does not include the right to a mass download, neither manually nor with technical aids such as crawlers (spider, robot).
  • The transfer of electronic full texts to third parties is strictly prohibited. The texts may only be used for own scientific purposes.
  • Should unusually high download numbers suggesting misuse be repeated, the publisher will block access at least temporarily, which will affect all users. The publisher shall keep an eye on the usage figures at all times.

 

 

FAQs on copyright in university teaching

An up-to-date guide to copyright issues in everyday university life is available at https://urheberrecht.thws.de/

On 01.03.18, the new copyright law with new regulations in the field of science and teaching comes into force.

Prof. Dr. jur. Achim Förster, LL.M. (Indiana) from the University of Würzburg-Schweinfuhrt has published a collection of questions and answers on his website.

The text is available under CC-BY-ND and may be redistributed under attribution.

Tip: On the last four pages of the PDF you will find a summary of short answers to questions!

Opening Hours

The library team is happy to take care of your concerns regarding books, e-books and databases. The counter is always manned during opening hours. During the semester break (usually 15 February - 14 March and 01 August - 30 September) the opening hours are reduced. Please also see the section  Current Information.

Department Amberg

Opening hours during the semester:

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

Opening hours during semester break (1st of August to 30th of September inclusive):

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

Department Weiden

Opening hours during the semester:

Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

Opening hours during semester break (1st of August to 30th of September inclusive):

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

24h Library

A special service is available for university members. With an activated chip card, you have 24-hour access to your library in Amberg and Weiden. No matter whether you use the library as a place of learning or urgently need to borrow a particular book from our stock, both are available 24 hours a day.

Please ask the library team what you need to know when using the library outside opening hours. To activate your chip card, you must attend an introductory event at both locations. External users (including former students) cannot access the library outside opening hours. This service is only available to fully enrolled students at OTH Amberg-Weiden, members of the teaching staff and employees. For security and legal reasons, the library rooms are video monitored at this time.

The following services are not available outside opening hours:

  • Collection of reserved or ordered books
  • Advice from the library staff
  • Payment of reminder fees
  • Activation or issue of a library card

 

Team / Contact

director

Dipl.-Bibl. Christina Michel

deputy director

B.A. Lena Konrad

Staff in Amberg

Dipl.-Bibl. Christina Michel

Wiss.Bib. Monika Pastuska

Staff in Weiden

B.A. Lena Konrad

Dipl.-Bibl. (FH) Monika Eichinger