Details

In everyday student life, there are often things that students would love to try out to develop a better understanding of their subject, but which are too expensive to buy personally. Whether it's immersing themselves in the fascinating world of virtual reality with VR glasses, testing a drone or working on cool projects with Raspberry PI accessories - that's what students at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology want. So why not borrow instead of buy? The principle of such a Library of Things is nothing new, and now there is something similar at FH Aachen.

The University Library of FH Aachen and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology have agreed on a corresponding co-operation. Based on surveys of students and teaching staff, the faculty has identified and purchased devices and made them available in the Makerspace. The Library has listed all items in the PLUS catalogue, manages the loan and return of the equipment in the central library system and monitors compliance with the loan period. The faculties are responsible for compliance with the technical and organisational framework conditions, including, for example, maintaining the devices, keeping track of device-specific loan authorisations and IT security for the loaned data carriers.

The Director of the University Library, Andrea Stühn, and the Dean of the faculty, Prof. Dr Michael Bragard, have signed the cooperation agreement and released the Library of Things for use with immediate effect.

Step 1:

All listed items can be accessed in the Library's PLUS catalogue at https://fhac.de/BIB-FB5-BD or searched for using the search term "FB5-BD".

Step 2:

A placeholder card with the desired item can be borrowed from the Library Eupener Straße during service hours.

Step 3:

The placeholder card is exchanged for the item in the Makerspace (room E019.2).
If you have any questions, we can explain how to use it and give you tips on how to realise it.

Step 4:

If the item is no longer needed, or at the latest at the end of the loan period, it is exchanged back for the placeholder card in the Makerspace.

Step 5:

The placeholder card is then returned to the Library Eupener Straße during service hours.

"In future, it will be possible to borrow tools ranging from digital calipers to thermal imaging cameras, which can be used specifically for teaching in learning modules and promote the acquisition of skills. On the other hand, these and other tools can also be used by students outside of the modules for their own projects or final theses and to deepen their knowledge," explains Prof Bragard. These projects can lead to further research work and innovations and lower the inhibition threshold to try out their own ideas with the aim of founding a company. "We are delighted that the Library is supporting us in our endeavours to provide students with access to teaching-supporting tools, even across departmental boundaries."

"Since libraries have always acted sustainably by making things available to a wider public in a low-threshold and non-consumption manner - albeit previously in text form - it made sense to offer the things necessary for studying via the central service facility. We were happy to take up the faculties' request and expand our portfolio accordingly," emphasises Andrea Stühn.