User card

How to get a user card

Ordering literature for local lending is possible only if you have a ZBW user card. It will be issued to you at the information desk at no cost.

User cards can be issued to anyone wishing to use our services; they are not restricted to students and university staff members.

Please have the following documents ready for registration:

• A valid identity card and, if applicable, proof that you either study at or work for a local education institution or
• an official and valid substitute ID card and, if applicable, proof that you either study at or work for a local education institution or
• a valid passport as well as a student ID showing your current address or
• a valid passport, a certificate that you are registered with the local authority, and, if applicable, proof that you either study at or work for a local education institution.

Please inform us immediately of any changes in your personal details, particularly any changes in your mail and e-mail address.

Guests who are not resident in Germany will be issued a guest user card.

User number

Below the barcode on your user card you will find your user number. Input this number into the field “number” when ordering.

Password

Your provisional password is your birthday (in six digits without dots as ddmmyy). If you are born on 15/01/1972, your password for the online catalogue is 150172. Please change your provisional password immediately and keep it confidential.

Changing your password

Please change your provisional password using the “borrower information“ button on the upper navigational bar of our ECONIS online catalogue and enter a new password of your choice. The password must not contain special characters or umlauts. Only you will know this new password. Please do not reveal it to others.

Forgot your password?

If you have forgotten your password, please contact the information desk.

Valid time of your user card

The user card is usually valid for one year. The valid time can be extended at the information desk. Please present your user card at the information desk for this.

Please have the following documents ready if you wish to extend the valid time of your user card:

• A valid identity card and proof that you either study at or work for a local education institution or
• an official and valid substitute ID card as well as proof that you either study at or work for a local education institution or
• a valid passport as well as a student ID showing your current address or
• a valid passport, a certificate that you are registered with the local authority, and proof that you either study at or work for a local education institution.

Your user card is valid in both the ZBW in Kiel and the ZBW in Hamburg.

User card disabled?

The user card will be disabled automatically if the valid time has expired, if you have been reminded of overdue books four times or if the amount due for overdue fines and reservation fees exceeds € 25. In these cases please contact the information desk.

You can find information about overdue fines and reservation fees which may be charged to your account in the section “borrower information” in the upper horizontal navigation bar of our online catalogue ECONIS.