Frankfurt University Library

The Frankfurt University Library (German: Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (UB Frankfurt), or Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg, ISIL DE-30) is the library for the Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.

University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg
Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Central Library Building in 2007
50°7′13.4″N 8°39′11.2″E
Location	Bockenheimer Landstraße 134–138, Frankfurt, Germany
Established	1484; 541 years ago (1484) (predecessor) 1 January 2005; 20 years ago (2005-01-01)
Architect(s)	Ferdinand Kramer[1]
Reference to legal mandate	Vertrag zwischen dem Land Hessen und der Stadt Frankfurt am Main zur Ergänzung und Änderung des Universitäts-Übernahmevertrages [Contract between the State Hesse and the City of Frankfurt for Complement and Chance of the University Transfer Agreement] (PDF) (StAnz. 25/2000 page 1824, § 4) (in German). 26 March 1999.
Service area	Hesse and Hessian Interlibrary loan region (Alzey-Worms, Mainz, Mainz-Bingen, Worms)
Branches	9
Collection
Items collected	books, magazines (both print and digital)
Size	11.6 million (As of 2023[update])
Criteria for collection	scientific literature, all publications published in Frankfurt, all German prints of the years 1801 till 1870
Legal deposit	Yes, Frankfurt am Main area[2][3]
Access and use
Access requirements	Students and employees of Goethe University Frankfurt, also people, who study, live or work for at least 3 months in Hesse or in Hessian Interlibrary loan region; Library card or Goethe card is required to visit the reading rooms
Circulation	750,000 (As of 2023[update])
Population served	Hesse
Members	59,705 (As of 2016[update])
Other information
Budget	€25.41 (As of 2023[update])
Director	Daniela Poth (since 2020)
Employees	209 FTE (As of 2023[update])
Public transit access	Bockenheimer Warte 16 Bockenheimer Warte 32, 36, 50, N1 Bockenheimer Warte
Website	ub.uni-frankfurt.de
References: "Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main: Übersicht 2023" (in German). 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.

History

It originated in the 15th century as a town library and can be dated back to 1484.^[4] After the founding of the university (1914) it became the Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (StUB).^[4] In 1945, the libraries Stadtbibliothek [de],^[5] Rothschild'sche Bibliothek [de],^[6] Bibliothek für Kunst und Technik, Medizinische Zentralbibliothek, Manskopf'sches Museum für Musik- und Theatergeschichte [de]^[7] merged.^[4] 2005 the StUB and the Senckenbergische Bibliothek united.^[4]

Library Profile

The Frankfurt University Library is one of the largest academic libraries in Germany^[8] and a member of the Collection of German Prints, the virtual German national library, covering the years 1801 till 1870.^[9][10] In 2021, the library has had 805,019 visitors.^[11] UB Frankfurt is a member of the Hessisches BibliotheksInformationssystem [de] (hebis) (Hessian library information system).^[12][13]

Central library

• Zentralbibliothek (central library), Bockenheimer Landstr. 134–138, 60325 Frankfurt am Main (ISIL DE-30)^[14] (Library card or Goethe card is required to visit the reading rooms)^[15]

Branches

Sources:^[14]

• Medizinische Hauptbibliothek (medicine), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Haus 10, 60596 Frankfurt am Main
• Bibliothek Naturwissenschaften (natural sciences), Ruth-Moufang-Str. 2, 60438 Frankfurt am Main
• Bibliothek Recht und Wirtschaft (law and economy), Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 4, 60323 Frankfurt am Main
• Bibliothek Sozialwissenschaften und Psychologie (BSP) (social sciences and psychology), Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, 60323 Frankfurt am Main
• Bibliothek Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaften (linguistics and cultural studies), Rostocker Straße 2, 60323 Frankfurt am Main
• Bibliothekszentrum Geisteswissenschaften (humanities), IG Farben Building (Q1 und Q6), Norbert-Wollheim-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main
• Bibliothek für Sportwissenschaften (sports science), Ginnheimer Landstraße 39, 60487 Frankfurt am Main
• Mathematikbibliothek (mathematics), Robert-Mayer-Straße 8, 60325 Frankfurt am Main
• Informatikbibliothek (computing), Robert-Mayer-Straße 11–15, 60325 Frankfurt am Main

Collections

Since 1802, the library owns an original complete Gutenberg Bible.^[16][17] The UB Frankfurt possesses the largest Judaica and Hebraica collection in Germany.^[18]

Building

The modern library building by Ferdinand Kramer was erected in 1964^[19] and inaugurated on 29 April 1965.^[4][20] At the entrance to the reading rooms stands the bronze figure Prometheus by Ossip Zadkine.^[21][22]

Gallery

• 
  Inside the central library
• 
  Inside the central library, area accessible to readers
• 
  Bulgarus – Apparatus De regulis iuris, 13th-century manuscript