Study Spaces

The library is a popular place to study and work. We offer various services to support you in your individual way of working.

To study for an exam or search for literature for your assignment, the University Library offers 41 PC spaces and 1,100 study spaces in the open stacks.

Would you like to work in a team? Book one of the various group study rooms.

You can get an overview of our premises in our digital library guide in 3D or 2D view.

Study spaces  

 

Numerous study spaces are available to all users on floors 1 to 5. The PC spaces (staircase) can be used for literature and internet searches. The BringYourOwnDevice (BYOD) spaces are located in the open stacks. The open stacks are silent work zones. Conversations, group work and the use of mobile phones are not permitted there. You are welcome to talk to each other in the staircase area, where a certain noise level is tolerated. Please book a group study room if you want to work in a team.

All members of the RUB and other universities with Eduroam access can use the internet at their study space with their own devices.

Further study and work areas in the University Library:

Postgraduate spaces with long-term lockers

 

RUB students writing their doctoral or master's thesis or preparing their state examination can book one of 20 special work spaces in combination with a long-term locker (level 3/1 and 3/2) for 6 months. Please enquire at the information/service desk and bring your supervisor's confirmation when booking.

 

Group study rooms

Ground floor

 

There are two group study rooms on the ground floor (rooms 03 and 08), each consisting of 3 study areas that you can book individually. The study areas are set up for groups of 5 to 7 people, some are equipped with a large wall-mounted flat screen.

Room 08 is also used as Digital Humanities Space (DH Space) and offers a Smartboard and laptops with pre-installed tools as additional bookable equipment.

Book a room

Level 1

There are six group study rooms on level 1, adjacent to the learning landscape. Rooms 1 and 2 are suitable for larger groups of 10 to 12 people. A flipchart is available in room 1, flipchart pens can be borrowed from the information/service desk for a deposit. The other rooms (rooms 3 and 30, 31 and 32) are set up for 4 to 5 people. In rooms 30 to 32, a large wall-mounted flat screen can be used for group work.

Book a room

 

 

Height-adjustable desks and study spaces with special equipment

In the Bochum University Library you will find a number of height-adjustable desks as well as other study spaces with special equipment.

Ground floor

  • Vocatex in the reading room (font enlargement and reading out of texts in over 30 languages)
  • 2 height-adjustable desks in group study room no. 7 (min. height: 72 cm, max. height: 128.5 cm)
  • 2 height-adjustable desks in group study room no. 8/ DH Space (min. height: 72 cm, max. height: 128.5 cm)

Level 1

  • 1 height-adjustable desk in group study room no. 1 (min. height: 72 cm, max. height: 128.5 cm)
  • 1 height-adjustable desk in group study room no. 9 (min. height: 72 cm, max. height: 128.5 cm)
  • 1 height-adjustable desk in group study room no. 31 (min. height: 72 cm, max. height: 128.5 cm)
  • 2 height-adjustable desks in area 2 (min. height: 72 cm, max. height: 128.5 cm)

Level 2

  • 4 height-adjustable desks in area 2 (min. height: 72, max. height: 105)
  • 2 of the height-adjustable desks in area 2 are equipped with a camera
  • 1 study space for people with impaired vision in area 2
Reading room for protected holdings

In this reading room (ground floor, next to the information/service desk) you can work with items that are subject to usage restrictions:

  • Protected holdings of the University Library.
  • Items supplied via interlibrary loan that may only be consulted in a reading room.
  • Microfilms and microfiches
  • Non-network-compatible data carriers that may not be borrowed.

A deposit, for example your student ID card, will be retained while you use these items.

The reading room is a silent work zone. Conversations, group work and the use of mobile phones are not permitted. Because old and valuable books are used here, it is not permitted to bring food and drinks (including water) into the reading room.

Law reading room on level 3 / area 3

 

Law students and practitioners will find the most important material such as current textbooks, commentaries and handbooks in the law reading room. The holdings of the reading room are not borrowable, but additional copies of many titles are available for loan. Please use the RUB Primo catalogue to locate the books.

  • 95 individual study spaces
  • Power sockets and laptop cable lock anchors
  • Long-term lockers

The CIP pool is also located in this area.

Learning landscape on level 1 / area 2

  • 75 individual study spaces
  • 8 carrels
  • Lounge chairs and sofas
  • Sockets (floor sockets for the sofa seats and table sockets)
  • Long-term lockers
Reading room on level 2 / area 2

For users with disabilities we offer a specially equipped study space (height-adjustable desk, special devices for users with visual impairments) and a scanner.

   

  • 121 individual study spaces
  • Spaces for wheelchair users
    • 2 of them with height-adjustable desks
    • one of them additionally equipped for people with visual impairment
  • Power sockets and laptop cable lock anchors
  • Long-term lockers
Reading room on level 3 / area 2

 

  • 98 individual study spaces
  • 12 postgraduate spaces with long-term lockers
  • Sockets and laptop cable lock anchors
  • LAN sockets
  • Long-term lockers
Reading room on level 4 / area 4

  • 102 individual study spaces
  • Sockets and laptop cable lock anchors
  • Long-term lockers
Schreibcafé on the ground floor

The Schreibcafé (writing café) is a freely accessible place for students to learn, read and write together. It is supervised by the Writing Centre's (Schreibzentrum) writing tutors and is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. The writing tutors provide support in all matters relating to writing texts.

ThinkTanks

Ground floor, level 2, level 3

 

At various locations in the library, seven ThinkTanks for two to four people are available for concentrated work in small groups and participation in virtual lectures and Zoom conferences. The ThinkTanks are equipped with LED lighting, sound insulation and self-sufficient ventilation. Some ThinkTanks are also equipped with a flat screen.

If you'd like to book a ThinkTank you need to be a Ruhr University student and use the online booking system (RUB LoginID and password required).

ThinkTank booking

Newspaper reading area on level 0

The current issues of the newspapers are available in the newspaper reading area.

Current issues of "Der Spiegel" are kept at the information/service desk and can be used for a deposit.