Library at Rheinbach Campus of H-BRS reopens after repairs

Repairs are progressing well and the university can now reopen the library as a central meeting point on campus.

Finishing tape like in a marathon

Just like at the finish line of a marathon, the employees had blocked the library entrance with a red and white ribbon when they opened the premises on Monday morning. A few minutes later, human genetics professor Oskar Schnappauf was the first customer at the door - he was handed a pair of scissors and cut the ribbon. The employees' joy after the long closing time, i.e. their marathon, was already evident beforehand. They had decorated the premises with balloons and garlands and served home-baked muffins and cookies.

Between living room and seminar room

"After the redesign, the library looks nicer and more modern," said Alexander Verleger, head of the departmental library in Rheinbach. "And the students finally have a meeting place again." Like the library in Sankt Augustin, the library was redesigned according to the "third place" concept. It is intended to be a freely accessible place for learning and exchange - something between a living room and a seminar room. New furniture and flexible seating make it pleasant to work in. There are group work rooms, PC workstations and so-called "chat boxes" for telephone calls or video conferences. A one-button recording studio is also to be inaugurated soon, where lecturers and students can record their own videos quickly and easily. There are 45,000 books on the shelves, plus ten times as many electronic media - from specialist literature and non-fiction to novels and magazines.

"The library is important for Rheinbach"

The premises were very well received by the first visitors. "At last we have study rooms and a library again. That's what campus life is all about," said Applied Biology student Luca Wallner. "This is a game changer for us," he said, describing the opening, which is so important for the students following the repairs caused by the flood damage. "It's a big step for the campus." And non-student users are also delighted. "The library is important for Rheinbach. I'm glad that I can come here again now," said Birgit Formanski from Rheinbach.

Open six days a week

The university and district library on the Rheinbach campus (Von-Liebig-Straße 20) is now open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (specialist staff are on site until 5 p.m., followed by a security service). On Saturdays, it can be used from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (specialist staff are on site until 3 p.m.). The cafeteria, which is run by Studierendenwerk, is also expected to reopen in January with a limited range of services.