DIE Library for Adult Education

The DIE Library is the largest academic library specialising in adult education in the German-speaking world.

Its target groups are researchers, teachers, learners, students and practitioners in adult education and related fields.

Since 1958, the library has been acquiring literature focusing on adult education, lifelong learning and related sciences. Grey literature is also well represented, as well as a wide range of international electronic journals. An increasing focus of the library is the provision and development of research-related services. Networking and the development of external collaborations increase visibility and outreach. The library is active in committees and externally funded projects and also produces publications as part of its research mission. In addition, the library regularly trains media and information services specialists.

As a specialist library, the DIE Library catalogues and indexes journals at article level as part of its literature documentation. As part of its supra-regional activities in the field of providing literature for educational research, the library supplies data to the German Education Index  literature database in the Education Research Portal. As a member of the Südwestdeutscher Bibliotheksverbund (SWB), the library records its media in the network database K10plus and makes them internationally visible in WorldCat.

As an important contribution to the interdisciplinary and international orientation of the institute, the library increasingly focuses its acquisitions on important related sciences such as psychology, social sciences and business administration.  By participating in crowdfunding models and publish and read agreements (e.g. DEAL), the library is actively contributing to the open access transition.

"Weiter Wissen. Mit uns."

Academic libraries are the driving force behind open science and society. With the campaign Weiter Wissen. Mit uns. (Knowing more. With us.), the German Library Association (Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V.) aims to highlight the social relevance of academic libraries, their tasks and functions. We are part of it!

An overview of academic libraries in Germany that are members of the German Library Association can be found here (dbv section 4) as well as here (dbv section 5).

Research

DIE Literature Database on Adult Education

Since the early 1980s, the DIE Library has been recording its holdings electronically in the "DIE Literature Database on Adult Education". The database can be searched online via the DIE library catalogue.

DIE Library catalogue

Media prior to 1981 can be searched via card catalogues. Of course, we can also help you on the spot.

We are also happy to receive your suggestions for acquisitions after you have logged in to user account.

Journals

All our print journals are listed in the library catalogue.

You can find full access to our electronic journals from the DIE campus network via the Electronic Journals Database (EZB).

Databases

We offer the Database Information System (DBIS) for database searches. More than 6000 databases are freely available on the internet.

New acquisitions lists

You can find out about new acquisitions in the DIE library in the new acquisitions list. Older lists (1st quarter 2004 to 3rd quarter 2021) can be found here.

Produktdatenbank Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung (PAG)

With project funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Produktdatenbank Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung (PAG) was set up in 2019 and went live in 2022.  It is a research portal for digital open educational materials that have been created as part of funding activities for education policy initiatives by the Federal Government, the Federal States and other partners. The database is aimed at educational staff in literacy and basic education, management staff in educational institutions and other interested parties. Since 2023, the PAG has been in an extended project phase until 2026.

Lending

The DIE Library is a public reference library with open stacks. Printed books and journals are only loaned to members of the institute and not to external users.

Lending of eBooks

In order to provide a location-independent service to all users, we offer free loan of our eBooks. They can be borrowed via the portal die-bonn.ciando.com. We will be happy to send you brief instructions and login details for borrowing eBooks on request: bibliothek@die-bonn.de.

Interlibrary loan and document delivery

The DIE Library is authorised to provide interlibrary loan services between libraries in the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with the Leihverkehrsordnung (LVO).

Literature that is not available in the DIE Library can be ordered by members of the institute via interlibrary loan or document delivery services. In this case, please contact fernleihe@die-bonn.de.

Research-related services

Since 2017, the library offers institutionalised research data management (FDM) and a research data policy. Every research project at the DIE is advised throughout the entire project period to collect the research data generated in accordance with the FAIR Data criteria, to ensure their long-term preservation and, if possible, to make them available for future use. A Research Data Handbook and the Standardised Data Management Plan for Educational Research (Stamp), co-developed by the library, will be used as a tool in each phase of the project.

Other research-related and research-support services provided by the library include metadata management and publication services. These include the allocation of and advice on persistent identifiers, responsibility for the publication database (repository) and the production of the institute's bibliography. Associated documentation, standardisation, monitoring and policy processes are also included.

The Archives

The library also has extensive historical holdings, such as adult education journals from 1900 onwards, and archives. These include the papers of important adult educators and institute archives. The meta-archive is a directory of literature, (external) archival holdings, and brief information on historical persons and institutions in adult education. In addition, the programmes of the Adult Education Centres (VHS) have been a collection focus of the DIE since 1957. The VHS programme archive consists of the print archive and the digital programme archive (DiPA), which includes both purely digital documents (born digitals) and retro-digitised documents. Almost all documents are openly accessible. The Digital Programme Archive is also part of the NFDI consortium Text+.

• VHS-Programmarchiv
• Metaarchiv
• Nachlassarchiv

Working and studying

The DIE Library offers a variety of zones for working and studying, both individually and in groups. There are also convertible meeting islands and open-plan conference rooms. A newly implemented modern learning space concept includes formal, functional workstations, informal, comfortable lounge areas and a mobile touch screen for interactive presentations.

Working and learning processes are supported by a book scanner and the provision of free WLAN and a research PC. Please bring a USB stick to use the scanner.

Lockers are available in the library.

How to find us

The DIE Library is located on the premises of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The rooms are located in the northern part of the DIE and are accessible via the first floor.

Directions to the library

Pre-registration

Advance registration is required for visit and access. Please complete the form below and bring your identity card to show at the gate.