Library of the Department of Physics

From 2016 to 2022, we included our entire collection in the central university library’s online catalogue. This allows you to search the entire collection of printed and electronic books and articles of the whole university in just one place.

We rearranged our entire collection in 2021, developed a bilingual guidance system and thoroughly cleaned books and shelves. New terms of use apply because we opened the library to students in summer 2019. We labeled doors and rooms and created this website. And there is still more to come.

In recent years there have been a lot of fundamentally new framework conditions for the libraries (campus-wide e-book packages, expensive licenses for journals, budget cuts, construction works…). In order to continue to offer the accustomed quality, we are cooperating in the background with several institutions such as the University of Cologne Library or other department libraries for a functioning overall concept of a new Cologne library landscape. Here you can find the contacts of the the other libraries of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

1814
First mention of a physics library with current journals related to the “Physics Cabinet,” which, however, fell into disarray after Ohm’s departure.

1901–1920
As part of the reestablishment of the University of Cologne, chairs in the natural sciences for physics, chemistry, and geography were initially established at the School of Commerce; from 1919, they were integrated into the Faculty of Arts (date of establishment: April 1, 1920) and later supplemented by additional chairs in physics, mathematics, biology, and geophysics; each institute maintained its own small specialized library.

October 1, 1924
Founding of the Institute for Theoretical Physics, which was initially housed on a temporary basis in the premises of a school at Serverinswall 38. The library of the Institute for Theoretical Physics was intended to give students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the literature. It was therefore primarily stocked with all major domestic and foreign journals.

As of 1924
Since the City and University Library cannot be brought up to the standard of a normal university library with well-established collections at such short notice, better-stocked departmental libraries must provide a partial substitute.

April 1, 1955
Establishment of an independent Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences with 31 professors at the time, driven by the rapid growth in student enrollment in the postwar years. 
The Institute of Theoretical Physics was located on what is now the South Campus on Claudiusstraße, though with only two rooms; Nevertheless, there was already a (cross-departmental) physics library (though without support from professional library staff), which presumably forms the foundation of today’s library.

Summer 1968
Relocation of the Physics Department to the “new building” and its current location on Zülpicher Straße.

around 1980
Due to structural changes within the department, the book collections of the individual physics institutes were partially merged and integrated into the general library’s holdings (e.g., the “Metallurgy” collection was added).

1981
Following the acquisition of numerous journal collections from the university library, a long-planned and urgently needed expansion of the Physics Institutes’ library takes place, as it has reached the limits of its capacity.
Conception and creation of an open-access computer room as the precursor to our CIP.

1994
A web server is installed in the computer room; the computer names SUN and MOON inspire the decision to name the project Eclipse.

1996
The computer room now offers consultation hours on Fridays—volunteers run this self-organized advisory service.

around 2001
The Library of the Physics Institutes is renovated, equipped with power outlets at the workstations, and expanded once again; additional journals from the University and City Library are housed here.

2004
Hardware damage to the Eclipse server leads to the computer lab being closed for several months; subsequently, new workstations with large screens are installed, and a new switch upgrades the local network to 100 MB/s.

2006
Theft of a server hard drive – the computer lab is closed again for months, and a new plan involving security staff is developed.

2007
Official (re)opening ceremony of the “Physics Computer Pool” on April 17, 2007; from now on, the CIP is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and is managed by a student team. Modern Linux PCs with powerful mathematical software offer optimal opportunities for Internet research, lab report analysis, lecture-related exercises, and the creation of scientific texts and graphics. A new printer is also available.

2008
Due to financial and space constraints, there is a wave of subscriptions to print journals being switched to campus-wide electronic formats.

2016–2022
The book collection is entered into the University and City Library’s online catalog to make it searchable electronically; at the same time, the collection undergoes a quality review, and many books are weeded out or repaired.

2016
The books are rearranged on the shelves in a new order (with more “space” between them).

2018–2019
A journal inventory review with a quality assessment of the collection takes place; some weeding frees up much-needed shelf space in the overcrowded archive rooms.

2019
The door between the staff library and the CIP is opened, allowing students to use the study spaces and library materials without prior registration.

2020–2021
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the library had to close in March 2020; this time was used to make some changes to the library:

• Reorganization of the periodicals collection: the volumes in the two archive rooms and in the library were rearranged, consolidated, and tidied up.
• Major cleaning of the collection: all books, journals, and shelves are dusted.
• Setting up a reading room and a journal room.
• It is decided to keep the library permanently open to students, and initial adjustments and upgrades to the facilities are made; for example, an information board and a standing workstation are set up, and new bistro tables are added to the “library garden”.
• PCB remediation work: PCB is painstakingly removed from the concrete slabs in the periodicals room, the CIP, and the work area of the sbib textbook collection.

June 2021
Workstations for students are made available in the library under strict “COVID-19 restrictions.” This makes our library one of the first to reopen in Cologne following various lockdowns.

January 2022
The three previously separate areas—staff library, student library, and computer lab—are continuing to merge organizationally and are relaunching a joint website.

Summer 2023
Thanks to the student council, the atrium connected to the library is taking shape. The bright sunshade is complemented by several homemade raised garden beds. A concrete wasteland is being transformed into a green oasis of calm.

Summer 2024
With the help of a short survey, we wanted to find out who studies in our library and why. The feedback was delightfully positive. The workspaces in the various study zones are highly valued due to the pleasant atmosphere in the physics section and the view of the greenery. We were also able to address a few minor requests for improvements by the end of the year: acoustic panels were installed in the quiet study area (sbib), and additional screens were added to the workspaces in the reading room. Thank you very much for your participation and your praise.