Library for Social Sciences from A to Z

A

• Address: Library for Social Sciences, Bienroder Weg 97, 38106 Braunschweig. The library is located on the first floor of the building and can be reached via the right-hand entrance (first green door next to the post office). As there is a staircase leading to the library, barrier-free access to the library is possible via the main entrance (see Barrier-free access).
  The address on a city map: Google Maps
• Antiques: Room 58 (locked) contains antiquities (published before 1955 and literature classified as particularly worthy of protection) as a reference collection. These books can be viewed upon request.
• Archive: Room 58 contains a media archive on the topics "9/11", "Kosovo War" and "Somalia Conflict".
  Technical equipment includes a video recorder/video player, a television and a microfilm machine.The archive is locked and can be unlocked by staff if required.
• Acquisition suggestions: You are welcome to send acquisition suggestions for books by e-mail to bib-sowi@tu-braunschweig.de. We will forward these to the institutes responsible for the acquisition of books. The same applies to journal titles and computer programs and software for our PC workstations.

B

• Barrier-free access: Barrier-free access to the Library for Social Sciences is possible via the main entrance of the building at Bienroder Weg 97, as the main entrance to the library is only accessible via a staircase. Please ring the bell on the outside of the entrance door (button "EG rechts") at the main entrance. Then take the elevator in the foyer and press "E" (first floor). The door to the library is at the end of the corridor on the right. If necessary, the side door can then be unlocked. Alternatively, you can call 0531 391-8925 so that we can open the door for you. The Olympus LS-14 dictation machine can be borrowed from the library for research projects and has a voice guide that can make it easier to use for students with visual impairments.
• Binding equipment: It is possible to have term papers, scripts, exposés and any other written documents and texts bound by us at a reasonable price (prices: 1.50 euros - documents up to 100 pages; 2 euros - documents up to 200 pages; 2.50 euros - documents up to 300 pages). This gives even smaller written documents a professional and neat appearance. Binding can be done with a thermal binding machine (recommended for documents with a smaller number of pages) or a spiral binding machine (recommended for documents with a larger number of pages). The use of these devices is not recommended for final papers and other work requiring a higher quality of binding.
• Blue Series: The complete collection of research reports from the Department of Social Sciences ("Blue Series") can be found under the shelfmark Z-9005.
• Book donations: The stock of our library is also growing thanks to the willingness of individuals to send us literature. For these book donations (Dona) we would like to thank the donors (namely: Prof. German (Honorary Professor), Prof. Calließ, Hans-Joachim Bruckner, Wolfgang Stenke (journalist) and many more) on behalf of the users of our library.

C

• Catalogues: You can search for literature from the catalogue of the Library for Social Sciences via the UB catalogue and the GVK (recommended for searching journal articles and for ordering literature not available in Braunschweig via interlibrary loan; see interlibrary loan). However, the UB catalogue does not provide information about the loan status of the media in our collection. You can enquire about its status in person, by e-mail or by telephone. An overview of the many catalogues and databases available can be found in the Catalogues/Databases subsection of our website.
• Citavi: The program Citavi - version 6 - can be used on all PC workstations for reference management, knowledge organization and task planning.
• Computer workstations: Computer workstations are available in the rooms 46, 47a, 60 and 63 for users with a valid GITZ-ID. Microsoft Office 2016 programs, MAXQDA 22, STATA 15 and Citavi 6 are installed on these computers.
• Contact: see subsection Contact, Opening Times & Accessibility.

D

• Databases: An overview of the many catalogues and databases available can be found in the Catalogues/Databases subsection of our website.
• Dictation machines: In the library, users can borrow high-quality dictation machines for interviews, surveys, etc. One dictation machine, the Olympus LS-14, has a voice guidance function, which can make it easier for students with visual impairments to use it. The loan period is 14 days with the option to extend the loan period if the device has not been pre-ordered. In addition, depending on availability, a telephone recording adapter - for recording telephone interviews - can be borrowed as well. USB sticks with transcription programs (f4/f5 and MAXQDA), a foot switch and headphones can also be borrowed for transcribing the interviews (with the same loan period as above).

E

• Energy-saving package: Users of our library can borrow an energy-saving package provided by the Federal Environment Agency. This package can be used to determine the electricity consumption and annual operating costs of electrical appliances used in the household. Further information on the campaign: http://www.no-energy.de/
• Equipment hire: You can find an overview of all the equipment (and program sticks) that can be rented from us in the Equipment Hire subsection of our website.
• Extension of loan periods: see loan periods.

F

• f4/f5 stick (borrowing): Users can borrow USB sticks with a portable license of the program f4/f5 (f4 for Windows, f5 for MacOS) for transcribing interviews. In addition, a transcription box (contents: foot switch and headphones) can be borrowed. Further information can be found in the Equipment Hire subsection of our website.

G

H

• Holdings: Our library has around 56,000 books in the fields of:

1. political science
2. sociology
3. media studies
4. political education
5. mathematics didactics
6. economics
7. history

A trademark of our library is the large stock of journals, as we have around 20 current academic journals on subscription and an extensive journal archive (an overview of all journals can be found in the hallway of the library). Journals and magazines (such as "Der Spiegel") are part of the reference collection and can therefore not be borrowed, but can be copied or scanned on site (further information can be found in the Periodicals subsection). There is also a media archive with videos and newspaper reports on the topics "September 11th", "Kosovo War" and "Somalia Conflict".

You can search for literature from the catalogue of the Library for Social Sciences via the UB catalogue and the GVK (recommended for searching journal articles and ordering literature not available in Braunschweig via interlibrary loan; see interlibrary loan). For more information, see the subsection "Catalogues and Databases". However, the UB catalogue does not provide information about the loan status of the media in our collection. You can enquire about the status in person, by e-mail or by telephone (see Contact, opening hours & accessibility).

I

• Interlibrary Loan: Books from our collection can only be ordered via the University Library. Please contact the lending desk of the University Library. In order to order books or journal articles (in copy) from external libraries via the GVK, it is also necessary to set up an interlibrary loan account at the University Library. Please contact the lending desk at the University Library. Further information can be found in the section "Borrowing & Online Access" on the University Library website.
• Internet Access: The internet can be accessed free of charge on all PCs in the library for members of the TU Braunschweig. There is also eduroam Wi-Fi access in all rooms of the library, so that you can also access the Internet using notebooks, laptops and smartphones that you have brought with you. The prerequisite is the configuration of  eduroam on your device (link).

• Information: Library staff are available in room 47c to provide information and are happy to help you with any questions you may have.
  You can also ask your questions  via telephone (+49(0) 531 391-8925) or by e-mail (bib-sowi@tu-braunschweig.de).

J

• Journals: see Periodicals.

K

L

• Letter of relief: Persons who have completed their studies and must certify to the university administration that there are no claims (reminder fees) against them from our library can have a so-called "letter of discharge" issued on site. You can continue to use the Library for Social Sciences even after completing your studies (with a different user status).
• Loan card: see registration.

• Lending software: The lending program we use is particularly recommended for use in small and medium-sized libraries. If you are interested in the program, please contact us.

• Library use: Use of the library and borrowing is open to everyone, not just members of TU Braunschweig. Use is subject to the library user regulations, see Terms of Use (in German).

• Loan devices/USB sticks (with portable licenses): Users can borrow various devices, e.g. dictation machines, transcription boxes and USB sticks with portable licenses. You can find an overview of all devices and program sticks (programs/portable licenses on USB sticks) that can be borrowed from us in the Equipment Hire subsection of our website.

• Loan periods: All books and other media (CDs, DVDs) can be borrowed for 4 weeks, unless they belong to the reference collection. Loan periods can be extended on site, by e-mail or by telephone.For the 5th extension, please come in person. An extension of the loan period by 2 weeks is possible indefinitely, provided that the borrowed book has not been pre-ordered by another user in the meantime.Titles from the textbook collection (P-shelfmarks) can be borrowed by students of the Department of Social Sciences for 8 weeks.The loan period can be extended by a further 4 weeks, provided that the book or other medium has not already been reserved.Users who are writing their thesis (including doctoral theses) receive a special loan period upon presentation of an official certificate, which allows them to borrow the borrowed books and other media until the end of their thesis.
• Loan status: The UB catalogue contains information on the holdings of the Library for Social Sciences, but not on whether an item is currently available or can be borrowed.The loan status of books and other media in our library must be requested by telephone, e-mail or on site.On request, we can reserve books or other media for you for a week or mark currently borrowed media as reserved so that you can borrow them at the next possible time.
• Lockers: There are 16 lockers available for locking up personal items such as bags, laptops etc. while using the library. Keys are available at the front desk for a deposit.

M

• Magazines: see Periodicals.
• Mathematics didactics: The library for social sciences also houses the institute library for the didactics of mathematics and elementary mathematics in rooms 64 and 65. The library offers didactic and scientific books and journals as well as many textbooks. There are also computer workstations. For more information about the mathematics didactics library, please visit the library's website.
• MAXQDA-Department license/MAXQDA-Stick (loan): The program MAXQDA 2022 can be accessed with the license of the Department of Social Sciences at 4 PC workstations with a GITZ-ID. It is also possible to borrow a USB stick with a portable license of the program (version 2020). The library mainly offers sticks for use with Windows, the number of compatible sticks for MacOS is limited. Please contact the front desk for more information. The loan period is 2 weeks with the possibility of renewal if the stick has not been pre-ordered.

N

O

• Opening Times: The library is open from Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm during the semester. During the semester break, the library is open on Monday from 1pm to 4pm and Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 1pm. If the library is closed at short notice (e.g. due to stocktaking), this will be announced in the subsection Contact, Opening Hours & Accessibility.

P

• PC workstations: see Computer workstations.
• Periodicals: Current journal and magazine issues are located in the journal reading room 48. Older issues are located in the archive in various rooms, please see the notice board. The Library for Social Sciences also offers online access to numerous journals via the TU network. Additional journals are available online via (national) licenses from the Electronic Journals Library (EZB) of Braunschweig University Library. An overview of the journal and magazine holdings can be found in the Periodicals subsection.
• Pre-orders/reservations: If a book or other medium (CD, DVD) is currently on loan, it can be pre-ordered by another user. In this case, the user who has borrowed the book will receive an e-mail about the pre-order and will not be able to extend the loan period of the book or other medium again. However, there is of course the right to borrow the book until the end of the current loan period (stated when the book was borrowed). There is no entitlement to an earlier return (than the end of the loan period). The person who placed the pre-order will be informed as soon as the item is available again and it will be reserved for collection for one week. After that, it can be borrowed again by everyone.
• Program stick hire: You can find an overview of all the program sticks (programs/transportable licenses on USB sticks) that can be rented from us in the Equipment Hire subsection of our website.

Q

R

• Reading stations: Group workstations are located in rooms 46, 47a, 48, 63 and 67. Further individual workstations, with and without computers, are located in rooms 41, 42, 46, 47a, 49, 53, 54, 60, 62, 63, 64 and 65 (Institute Library of Didactics of Mathematics and Elementary Mathematics), 66, 67 and 68. The TU-wide W-LAN is available in all rooms of the library (see Internet access).
• Registration: If you would like to register as a user for the library, you must register in person (by presenting your identity card) and have a library card issued. This is free of charge and only takes a few minutes. Other library cards (including those of Braunschweig University Library) are not valid in our library. Presentation of your TUcard (semester certificate) is not sufficient.
• Reference books/semester books: Literature compiled by lecturers of the department (including photocopies) for the current seminars can be found in the lending library (room 47c.) The literature cannot be borrowed.
• Reference collection: Antiquarian books, journals and special journal volumes belong to the reference collection and cannot be borrowed. All other books can be borrowed unless they are labelled as reference books.
• Reminder E-Mails: Reminder e-mails indicate the imminent end of the loan period for borrowed books. They are an additional, voluntary service provided by the Library for Social Sciences. Anyone who does not receive an email to remind them of the end of the loan period is NOT exempt from paying late fees if the loan period is exceeded. Important for the return is the end of the loan period communicated at the time of loan. Only the provision of a reminder slip (in paper form) or an e-mail to us, containing the end of the loan period which can verify a later end of the loan period can release you from the payment of late fees.

S

• Software (available): see Citavi, computer workstations, MaxQDA, STATA.

T

• Thesis - special status: see loan periods.
• Telephone recording adapter: In our library you can borrow not only high-quality dictation machines for interviews and surveys, but also telephone recording adapters. The loan period is 14 days.

U

• Use of library/user card: see registration.

V

W

• Wi-Fi: see internet access.
• Workstations: see computer workstations and reading places.

XY

Z

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