Your library card
Registering to use the library
- Fill out the online registration form and submit it. If you do not have Internet access you can fill out the form at one of the HAW libraries.
- Come to one of the libraries and show us your
- ID card
- OR your passport and your residence certificate.
- If you are a member of HAW Hamburg (student, instructor, staff), please bring your chip card with you, if you have been issued a chip card. If you do not receive a chip card - From April 1, 2024, chip cards will no longer be issued to new students. Further information about Student ID card /chip card - please provide proof that you are enrolled or employed at HAW Hamburg. HAW Hamburg alumni need to have their alumni card.
If you are entitled to a fee discount, please bring the necessary supporting documentation.
If you are between 16 and 18 years old, you can obtain a library card if you bring a completed and signed declaration of consent from your parents. You can download the form here: declaration of parental consent (in German only)
Library card
The following cards are used as a library card after the initial registration for library use:
Chip card
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Members of HAW Hamburg who have received a chip card use it as a library card. Prior to this, you only have to register once for library use. You can find more information about this further up this page.
Update from 21 March 2024: From April 1, 2024, chip cards will no longer be issued to new students. Further information about Student ID card /chip card
The existing chip cards remain valid and should continue to be used as library cards. This applies both to the chip cards that have already been activated as library cards and to those that you will activate for library use.
HAW Hamburg members without a chip card who would like to use the HAW libraries will receive a HIBS library card from us. Prior to this, a one-time initial registration is required for library use. You can find more information about this further up this page.
AlumniCard
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Since 2009, all HAW Hamburg alumni can use their AlumniCard as a library card. To be activated for library use, please come to one of the HAW libraries with your AlumniCard and your ID card or passport (with your residence certificate). If you already have/had a HIBS library card or if your chip card was activated for library use, please bring it with you as well.
Further information about AlumniCard (in German)
The AlumniCard, which has been activated for the use of the HAW libraries, does not entitle the holder to use the other academic libraries in Hamburg.
HIBS library card
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If you don't have a HAW chip card or an AlumniCard, we will provide you with a HIBS library card. Prior to this, a one-time initial registration is required for library use. You can find more information about this further up this page.
Borrowing from other Hamburg libraries
The annual or monthly fees you pay to the University Information and Library Service entitle you to borrow at no additional cost from the following academic libraries in Hamburg during the same period (you may need to also obtain a library card from the indvidual library):
Hamburg State and University Library (SUB)
Library card fees
Library cards with reduced fee
Students of public universities in Germany, academic staff of public Hamburg universities, | No charge |
Secondary school students | No charge |
Individuals currently completing an apprenticeship, military service or volunteer civil service; recipients of Arbeitslosengeld I or II unemployment benefits (annual library card) | €5 |
To receive a reduced fee, you must present one of the following:
HAW Hamburg chip card |
Student card from a public university in Germany |
HAW Hamburg employee ID |
HAW Hamburg alumni card |
Proof of another justification for a fee reduction, such as the receipt of state benefits pursuant to SGB II (ALG II) and SGB XII or employment in an apprenticeship position, military service or volunteer civil service |
Library cards without reduced fee
| Annual library card | €30 |
| Six-month library card | €18 |
| Monthly library card | €10 |
| Annual library card for law firms and legal organisations | €120 |
Please pay the fees using your EC (debit) card.
Extending your library card
Library cards without reduced fees are valid for one year, six months, or one month, depending on the price. |
Library cards with reduced fees are generally issued for one year. |
Newly issued library cards or chip cards for HAW Hamburg students are valid for four years. They can then be extended for one year upon presentation of a valid chip card. |
Alumni cards are activated for library use for one year at a time. To activate your card for an additional year, please present your alumni card and your personal ID or passport (together with your residence certificate) in one of the libraries. |
Reminder email
We will send you an automatic reminder that your library card is about to expire by email so that you can renew it on time. To do this, we must have your current email address. To renew your card, please bring the necessary documents to one of our libraries. These documents, and the renewal fee, will generally be the same as what was required for the initial registration.
