Student Cornelia Müller, in her 3rd semester of Engineering Psychology on the Tuttlingen Campus, here with the 'things' that can already be borrowed from the library in the first phase of the project.
“Library of Things” to be set up in Tuttlingen
As part of the “Library of Things” project, the university library in Tuttlingen, together with Prof. Verena Wagner-Hartl, students from the Engineering Psychology degree programme and in partnership with the Senate Sustainability Committee, is developing an innovative lending system that provides sustainable support for students, lecturers and staff. Instead of buying items, in future users will be able to borrow various items for study, teaching and leisure − from technical equipment to learning materials and leisure items. The aim is to facilitate access to the required materials and reduce the ecological footprint at the same time.
“Libraries have long been more than just knowledge centers. With the 'Library of Things', we are expanding our range of services to include sustainable usage options that make it easier for everyone to access the materials they need,” explains Christina Gunzenhauser, Library Head on the Tuttlingen Campus. The concept aims to offer students in particular, new, efficient and environmentally friendly ways to use the items they need instead of buying them. The project focuses on developing a usage concept that enables target groups to borrow useful items for everyday study. As a second priority, everyday objects and leisure items will also be made available.
In order to design a needs-based and user-friendly lending system, a survey will first be carried out. Based on the data collected, a concept will be developed to regulate lending and use via the library management system. “The focus is on the needs of the target groups,” says Prof. Verena Wagner-Hartl. The survey and concept development will be followed by a test phase during which selected items can be borrowed. After optimisation, the overall concept will be presented to the university management with the aim of extending it to the other campus libraries at Furtwangen University.
The project is based on successful initiatives from other libraries in Germany as well as international examples from Anglo-American and Nordic countries. “Our aim is not to develop a completely new concept, but to adapt tried and tested models to the needs of our university members,” explains Prof. Markus Egert, Academic Director of the HFU Libraries.
With the “Library of Things”, the HFU libraries are taking a forward-looking step towards sustainability and resource conservation, while further strengthening their role as an inspiring and communication-enhancing center for students, lecturers and staff.