The central library at Couvenstraße 15 is a barrier-free facility. It is divided into different areas and consists of the children's library (KiBi), the youth library (youthfactory), the adult library with interlibrary loan and the creative workshop.
Peter Hinschläger
On four levels you will find:
- Specialist literature, fiction and foreign-language literature
- Magazines and newspapers
- Online user catalogs and expert, friendly advice on all floors
- E-media lending
- Public Internet access, partly with Office programs for private use (with user card up to 4 hours/day free of charge)
- WLAN
- Collection of Aachen daily newspapers on microfilm from 1811 onwards (copies for private and scientific purposes possible - also as birthday copies)
Adult library
Peter Hinschläger
The adult library may be used from the age of 12. The learning aid media are aimed at pupils from grade 7.
First floor
On the first floor you will find:
- Novels and short stories
- Foreign-language fiction
- Books in "easy language"
- Audiobooks fiction
- General biographies
- Current newspapers and magazines
As well as non-fiction books on the subject areas:
- Garden design/Ornamental plants
- Pets/Fishing
- Home furnishings
- Fashion (style advice)
- Sewing/handicrafts
- Cooking/baking
- Sport
- Games/Hobbies/Crafts
- Festival organization
There is also an eCircle on the first floor for borrowing e-media directly and access to the reading garden.
1st floor - Learning, knowledge & research
On the first floor, you’ll find non-fiction books on current topics as well as study areas for learning, researching, and working—either on your own or in a group.
Subject
areasMedia on:- School & learning (from lower secondary level)
- Fake news, journalism & social media
- True Crime
- Environment, climate & sustainability
- Geography & Travel
- History & Politics (incl. Europe Direct Infopoint)
- Arts, Law, Economics & Social Sciences
- Work areas
Flexible spaces are available on the 1st floor for:- Self-study
- Group work
- Workshops in the learning workshop
Services:
Interlibrary
LoanWe use the interlibrary loan service to order materials that are not available on-site—from libraries in Germany and abroad.
Newspaper
ArchiveOlder Aachen newspapers are available on microfilm and can be viewed and printed using special equipment. A photocopier is also available.German
Conversation
GroupsGroups meet here regularly to practice German together.
Puzzles for EveryoneOn the upper floor, there are rotating puzzles available that invite you to join in and take a short break.2nd upper floor
The offer on the 2nd floor covers the following topics:
- Aachen and surroundings
- Religion
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Pedagogy
- Language
- Literary Studies
- Mathematics
- Astrosciences
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Geosciences
- Biology
- Botany
- Zoology
- Anthropobiology
- Medicine
- Technology/EDP/Trade
- Graphic Novels
There is also a room with literature about Aachen and the surrounding area (special collection), which is not freely accessible. The holdings can be used within the library by depositing the user card. The book scanner offers the possibility of scanning non-copyable and non-lendable literature onto a USB stick.
Creative workshop
Katharina Franke
The creative workshop is all about music, dance and theater. Here you will find non-fiction books, biographies, sheet music, DVDs and CDs, as well as an electric piano that can be used free of charge and without registration.
Children's library (KiBi)
Our area for children up to 12 years
We have:
- Books, CDs, DVDs, console and board games, magazines and Tonies
- Two Nintendo Switch to play on site
- a play and picture book corner for small children
- special Internet access for children
- a corner for dressing up
- a baby changing room and a crawling corner for the very little ones
For educators and teachers, we also offer media packages to supplement educational work in daycare centers and schools. The media packages can be borrowed for 8 weeks with the free institution card .
youthfactory
Peter Hinschlaeger, © Peter Hinschläger
The youthfactory offers 200 square meters of space and media for all teenagers and young people between the ages of 12 and 25.
We have:
- a PS5 area
- a pool table
- Books
- DVDs
- CDs
- Magazines
- Board games
Come along to chill out and meet friends.
Interlibrary loan
Books, sheet music, essays etc. that are not available in Aachen can be obtained from Germany and abroad via interlibrary loan. Orders can be placed at the Central Library or directly from home via the Digital Library. The delivery time for books is usually 10 - 15 days, for articles usually only a few days are necessary. Interlibrary loan advice is available in the Central Library on the 1st floor.
Historic old stock
- Literature about Aachen and the surrounding area
- Aachen daily newspapers from 1768 onwards (in the original and on microfilm)
- Manuscripts and prints from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century (including the Aachen Council Library and various 19th century scholars' libraries)
- (Manuscript and book) bequests (e.g. from Josef Ponten, Alfred von Reumont, Anton Wilhelm and Vinzenz Jakob von Zuccalmaglio, Ferdinande Freiin von Brackel)
- Today, the city library owns 14 - of the original 31 - medieval manuscripts. Three more are stored in the city archives, and fourteen have also been lost. The "Catalog of Medieval Manuscripts" and the "Catalog of Modern Manuscripts", which has not yet been completed, can be found in our literature and media directories. One of these manuscripts, the "Chronicon Sainense" (Ms. 96), a manuscript from the chancellery of the Counts of Sayn in Altenkirchen or Hachenburg (around 1490), can be found in the same place.
- Depository library of the Aachener Geschichtsverein
Contact us
Search results are loaded
No departments found.