Local lending

You may be granted an authorisation for local lendings if:

• You are a person aged 18 or over
• Your main place of residence or your place of work, education or research is in the Greater Vienna area, and you meet one of the following criteria:
   
  • You need to lend items for scientific research: you are writing a dissertation or habilitation treatise, or you are conducting a scientific research project
  • You are an active member of a public corporation
  • You are a member of a private corporation with a focus on scientific activity and/or culture
  • You have a disability and cannot use the Reading Rooms, or if it is very difficult for you to do so.

For detailed information: Criteria to lend items.

• A copy of your residence registration form
• Official photo ID (e.g. passport, student’s ID, employee ID)
• Proof of current scientific research (habilitation treatise, dissertation, scientific or research project, scientific publication):  Confirmation by an institute, employer or publisher, or list of publications of the applicant 

You receive the authorisation to lend items for a period of one year for a fee of EUR 30.00 (including 10% VAT). Please note that, in addition, a deposit of EUR 80.00 must be made.

You can lend a maximum of ten books at the same time for four weeks from the order date. You can extend the lending once by four weeks provided there are no reservations and you have to request the extension of the media before the loan expires (online or at the library). 

Overdue fees / item / day: EUR 0.60
1.    Reminder by email (10 days after due date): EUR 5.50
2.    Reminder by email (20 days after due date): EUR 8.00
3.    Reminder by registered post (30 days after due date): EUR 11.00 plus postage and fee for registered post

If items are not promptly returned or outstanding fees not paid, it shall not be possible to lend or extend the loan of any other item. Please note that it is not possible to pay any reminder fees on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ordered items can only be lent or returned at the book issue desk at the Main Reading Room from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 8.45 p.m. If you do not collect ordered works within seven days, they will be returned to storage.                                                                                You may authorise someone else to pick up the ordered items for you. In this case this person requires an written authorisation and your library pass.

It is not permitted to borrow any lended items from the Austrian National Library to other individuals. If you will be absent from your place of residence for longer than three weeks, please return all borrowed works first. Under no circumstances is it permitted to take borrowed works away on journeys. A change of address has to be announced with an official proof of residence.

Non-compliance with these conditions will result in the loss of your authorisation to lend items.

• Items published before 1900
• Austriaca items (items that were published or printed in Austria and are only available in one copy)
• Exception: dissertations, theses and university papers
• Works from the special exhibition (addition new - special exhibition)
• Works from the reference list of the reading rooms
• Large-format volumes (D-E-F formats)
• Newspapers and magazines
• Loose-leaf editions, illustrated books, maps, travel guides
• Non-bound, paperback works
• Works in poor condition
• Leather-bound books, deluxe editions, artistically designed books
• Non-book materials (microforms, CDs, etc.)
• Collection works