Accessing academic and scientific literature and subject-related information

The Saarland University and State Library (SULB), which is located on the Saarbrücken campus, and the Medical Section of the SULB on the Homburg campus, provide access to academic and scientific literature, subject-specific information and databases. Additional resources can be found in the various institute and departmental libraries or in the library at htw saar – the University of Applied Sciences in Saarbrücken. A list of all the libraries can be found on the SULB website.

The printed and electronic collections held by the different libraries are listed in the Saarland Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) which can be accessed via the SULB website.

If you cannot find a publication, book or other item of interest in the catalogue, please contact the relevant SULB subject specialist. Click the following link for more information on procuring scientific and academic literature.

The SULB information desk should be your first point of contact for all your library-related questions. If the desk staff are unable to provide an answer, your question will be forwarded to the appropriate library specialist.

How to contact the SULB information desk: Tel.: 0681 302-3076; Email: information(at)sulb.uni-saarland.de

Most of the materials in the Saarland University and State Library (SULB) are held in the closed stacks and can be taken out on loan. These items need to be ordered online using the Saarland Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) To take out items from the university library, you will need to present your UdS-Card, which also acts as your library card once you have registered with the SULB.

Step one is to register online on the SULB registration page. Step two is to activate your UdS Card as a library card by presenting your identity document (passport, identity card) at the SULB. Alternatively, if you do not want to use your own personal UdS Card for this purpose, you can obtain a cost centre card from the Card Issuing Office, which can be activated as a library card. Once registered, you can order books from the closed stacks, which will later be available for self-service checkout in the main hall. You will need your library card (activated UdS Card or cost centre card) in order to complete the self-checkout process.
Further information on borrowing library materials is available from the SULB website or you can contact the SULB information desk directly for assistance.

SULB offers a variety of services to support open access publication of your results.

Work that has already been published can be archived in Saarland University’s institutional repository SciDok. If requested by you, staff at SULB can verify whether archiving in SciDok is compatible with the conditions set by the original publisher. Alternatively, you can publish your work in the Saarland University open-access publishing house universaar, which is managed by SULB.

In addition to these publication services, SULB also advises academics about all other (not just legal) aspects of open access publications, e.g. the risks associated with predatory or fake journals.

To learn more, please visit the SULB’s open access web pages or contact the SULB staff listed there.

Printed materials are purchased by SULB or by the institute or departmental libraries. Digital media are procured exclusively through SULB. 
Please get in touch with the relevant subject specialist at SULB or send a purchase request by email to information@sulb.uni-saarland.de (please include ‘Purchase request - Anschaffungsvorschlag’ in your email subject line).

If you have been unable to locate an item of interest in the SULB main library, the Medical Library in Homburg, the institute or departmental libraries or in the library at htw saar, you can submit a loan request via the Interlibrary Loans Portal to borrow the item from another library. A charge is made for this service.

As when borrowing locally from the library, you will need to authenticate yourself with your user number before placing the order for the interlibrary loan. You will receive an email from SULB once the items you ordered are ready for collection.