You can find books for Arab Studies and Islamic Studies not only at the Central University Library (UB) but also at our Faculty Library. The Faculty Library is located in the “GB” building, which also houses the Institute for Arab Studies and Islamic Studies. It is accessible via the entrances on the fourth and sixth floors.

As a “presence library,” the Faculty Library allows you to read and scan books and media exclusively on-site. The only exception is the “Wochenendausleihe” (weekend checkout), which permits you to borrow books for the weekend.

In addition to the Faculty Library, the UB provides further specialized literature and a large selection of e-books and digital resources for students and staff at RUB. Unlike the Faculty Library, most books at the UB can be borrowed and taken home.

For more information, such as opening hours and borrowing options, visit the following websites:

Central University Library Bochum

Faculty Library of the Institute of Arab Studies and Islamic Studies

Your search for academic literature will likely begin with “Primo,” the central catalog of the UB. If you can’t find the title you’re looking for there, try using specialized catalogs. Additionally, the overview pages for subject databases and e-books can be quite helpful. To make your research in databases of archived newspapers and journals easier, we’ve put together a special guide on the topic.

To borrow books from the self-service machines at the UB, you’ll need to set up the “RUB Bib” app on your smartphone. Most media can be conveniently returned on-site at the return machines. You can find all the necessary information about borrowing here.

The UB is committed to the sustainable development of RUB and therefore does not provide copiers. Instead, various scanners are available for you to use in the UB and in the faculty libraries. If you bring a USB stick with you to the library, you can easily save and take your scans with you.

To help you find your way around the UB building and locate your media, we’ve developed a guidance system. You can access this system through our catalog Primo to, for example, precisely display the location of a book. Simply click the “Locate” button in the catalog entry.

For studying on-site, the UB offers a variety of group and individual study rooms, including some barrier-reduced workstations. Users with disabilities can utilize the support of our “UL Accessibility” team and, among other things, book our special computer with magnification and text-to-speech functions.

If a book isn’t available at the UB or Faculty Library, you can often request it through interlibrary loan from another library. Additionally, the staff at RUB libraries are happy to receive your book suggestions (form in German) for relevant literature that you need for your research. There’s a chance that RUB will purchase the works and add them to their collection, making them available for you as well.

To access the campus-wide unlocked e-books and our licensed electronic journals from home or on the go, it’s a good idea to install the RUB-VPN on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. If you plan to work extensively at the UB, you can also reserve a long-term locker to securely store your books and materials.

The UB Info and Service Team is here to help you during service hours with any questions you might have. Often, the research guide can also answer many of your queries. You can find all the details about our German and English course and consultation offerings in our course calendar.

As a first-semester student in Arab Studies and Islamic Studies, a research training session with the subject librarian is a fixed part of your introductory event. If you plan to write a bachelor’s or master’s thesis, you can also schedule an individual research consultation at any time.

Here’s a little secret: The UB regularly hosts exhibitions and other events. Drop by occasionally and discover something new!