Visiting the Reading Room
The Reading Room in the Historical Building serves as the central hub for exploring the SUB Göttingen collections. It offers a quiet and focused environment where you can study, work, and carry out research.
Before your Visit
Our reading room is open to students, researchers, and all interested visitors. Please note that some collections are subject to special access conditions.
- Manuscripts and Personal Papers: On your first visit, please present a valid ID card or passport before you can access these materials.
- University Archive: In order to request archival materials, you must first register and log in to Arcinsys. Please submit a request for access for the University Archive of Göttingen. Applications are approved within one working day; no separate confirmation will be sent.
Visiting Scholars
If you do not have a SUB Göttingen library card and wish to consult early printed books (including maps and incunabula), manuscripts, or personal papers, please contact us in advance to arrange access.
Requesting Special Collection Materials
Materials from special collections can be consulted in the reading room of the Historical Building by prior request only. Please search our catalogues and databases before your visit to identify the shelfmark of the item you wish to access.
How to request materials:
- Early Printed Books: via the Göttinger Universitätskatalog (GUK) or GöDiscovery
- Manuscripts, Autographs, and Personal Papers: use request form on-site in the reading room or by email
- Maps:
- Subject Collections: se request form on-site or by email
- University Archive: via Arcinsys
Please note the availability of our items: Early printed books are available the next day. Manuscripts, personal papers, and archival materials require at least two working days to be prepared.
Studying in the Reading Room
The Reading Room in the Historical Building offers quiet spaces for focused research and study. Please note the following:
- No conversations, phone calls, or loud activities.
- Store coats, bags, and backpacks in the lockers.
- Use pencils only; pens, highlighters, and similar writing tools are not allowed.
- No food or drinks.
- Special collection materials may only be used in the designated areas.
For assistance, please contact our staff at the service desk. If you wish to work on a collection item with multiple people or to organise a class session with historical materials, see here for more information.
Resources and Facilities
The Reading Room provides an extensive reference library with modern literature, handbooks, and resources on manuscripts and incunabula, the 18th century, university history, and the collections of the University Library. Many items are also available for home loan.
For research, several computers, a microfilm reader, and two scanners for duplicating modern materials are available. WLAN can be accessed via eduroam and GuestonCampus.
We also offer a range of tools to assist with studying historical materials, such as illuminated magnifiers of various strengths, light tables for identifying watermarks, measuring tapes, a ScanTent, and more. Please contact our service desk if you need assistance.
You can reserve a carrel or a lockable book trolley in the reading room for one semester. Priority for work carrels is given to users conducting research on historical, humanities, and cultural studies topics.
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Access Restrictions
SUB Göttingen is committed to supporting research with its collections and providing access to written cultural heritage. In certain cases, however, access may be restricted – for legal reasons or due to conservation requirements. A small selection of particularly valuable items, so-called “Tresorzimelien,” is not accessible in order to protect the collection.
Limited capacity may also lead to restrictions, especially if you wish to consult very large parts of the collections in a short period of time. Please contact us before your visit in such cases.
