Library
The Germanic Studies Library, formerly the Library of the Institute of Germanic Studies, now part of the University of London Research Library Services (ULRLS) is devoted principally to German language and literature from their respective beginnings to the present day, and it has substantial collections of:
There are smaller collections on background subjects such as history, art, folklore, publishing and other Germanic languages. The holdings on German film and theatre history are more than just 'background', as is the 'Wende' collection. Works by philosophers are in general integrated with the literature sequences. Also collected are works relating to the history of German studies, above all in the United Kingdom, but also in the German-speaking countries and the USA. Titles include biographies and 'Festschriften' of important scholars, and general histories of Germanistik. Book holdings are supported by numerous archives of individual scholars and material collected by the Conference of University Teachers of German in Great Britain and Ireland and kept at the Institute.
In all areas, the Library has collected as many reference works as possible: bibliographies, encyclopedias, lexika, biographical dictionaries and so on. Many of these are shelved in the Library office (indicated by 'RR' at the end of the classmark), but works relating to a single author will be found with the books by that author.
The whole stock is for reference only; no books or journals may be borrowed, but photocopying facilities are available. With the exception of theses, books in two special collections and titles in the Library store, all stock is on open access. Once readers have familiarised themselves with the layout, they may fetch all other books and journals for themselves using the guidance provided.
Readers can trace items they require using the online catalogue located in the Willoughby Room on the first floor.
The Germanic Studies Library has now moved into the Senate House. Open-access sections are temporarily housed on the second floor of the North Block; volumes on closed access can be ordered there but will be supplied for reading in the main library on the fourth floor of the Senate House South Block. The Germanic Studies Librarian, Dr Martin Liebscher, is located in Room 306 on the third floor of the Senate House North Block (Monday and Thursday mornings; Friday afternoons).