by Becky T
Originally published in Currents April/May 2004

Three important buildings make a triangle in the western-most part of Hamburg–St. Georg: the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), the Museum for Arts and Crafts (Kunst und Gewerbe) and now, since January 23, the new Central Library (Zentralbibliothek).

This is Hamburg’s main library and the largest of all 40 branches and one mobile library (Bücherhallen) around town. The new rooms have high ceilings and light airy rooms. The personnel is friendly. The library is full with three hundred thousand books, most of them on open shelves.

Sign up for a library card in the main entrance hall. It costs EUR 22 for six months and EUR 38 for a year (reduced prices for youths, students, unemployed persons, persons in military or civilian service and seniors — information available in English at your public library). Show either your German ID (Ausweis) or your passport and your proof of address (Einwohnermeldeschein). This card is also good at your local library. You’ll see two lines of people either at Rückgabe (return books) or Ausleihe (check out). At the main desk you might be lucky and meet the head of it all: Frau Christine von Steinaecker. She told me that she practiced English with our former member Joanne Zonis before working in a library in Minneapolis for 18 months.

Go left to the computers. One area of computers is to be used like an encyclopedia to look up any topic. For example, I looked up “films” and found 130,000 entries. Beyond these computers are 16 more in a group. These are for going online to surf the internet or to read emails. Online time costs 50 Cents for 10 minutes, EUR 1 for 20 minutes, and EUR 3 for one hour, etc. Take small change (50 Cents, EUR 1 and 2) to feed the machine attached to your computer. Printouts cost 20 Cents.

Remember the old card catalogues? Would you admit it, if you did? At any rate, here, the card catalogue is computerized. Anyone can look up anything in the library by clicking on the many computers throughout the library. Click on “English” when searching if that’s your language. The offerings will come up designated as book or video or CD, etc., as well as the specific language.

Also on the ground floor is the newspaper reading room. There are hundred of periodicals and daily papers. For example, on any day, in English alone, you can read the International Herald Tribune, The Guardian, The Jerusalem Post or The Times.

On the second floor is the English department with hard cover and paperbacks in English from The True Story of the Kelly Gang to Lord of the Rings and all other literature in between. There is a small section of children’s books in English. Next to that is a children’s corner with small tables and chairs and books in German. Also on the same floor are the 10,000 videos, thousands of DVDs, and CDs and CD-ROMS in English, German and other languages, which were moved from the video library at the Zeisehallen in Ottensen. Next to that are the 65,000 pieces of sheet music.

Don’t expect ever to find the DVD of your choice, even if listed, because they are constantly checked out. This is due in part to the generous lending policy of four weeks. Beyond that you can renew twice by mail, email, or fax, which means that the copy of The Matrix you are dying for could be out for three months! If you click into the computerized card catalogue under The Matrix (which you can also do from home, see address below), you will find that a) it’s in the library, b) it’s on loan, and c) it’s due back by April 9, unless it is renewed before that. You can reserve to make sure that you are next in line for a book or a video, etc. You can also arrange to pick up your DVD or book at your local library.

Formerly located in Große Bleichen, the new building has some nice additions. Our club member Thelma Freedman, a loyal library fan, said that now there are lockers for stowing coats. Also, they will send you email announcements of events, e.g., two weeks ago Thelma got an announcement that Monica Ali would read from her new book Brick Lane. Not all changes are for the better. Thelma said formerly they had niches for quiet reading and more privacy. One librarian said that the main entry hall is much too loud. A company is measuring decibels and plans are being made to put in more carpeting and wallpaper to absorb noise.

This is a good place to go if you have an extra hour and want to wait in a warm place reading the newspaper or going to the bathroom (20 Cents, please). The address is Hühnerposten 1 across from Vinh Loh Chinese grocery and the Markthalle. The building used to be the old central post office and I always thought that it was named Hühner Post (Chicken Post Office) because that’s where students earned extra money sorting mail at three a.m., up as early as the chickens.

Open Tue-Fri, 11:00-19:00 and Sat 10:00-13:00.

42 60 61 21 or 42 60 62 15

Look up their website at www.buecherhallen.de
to read the information in English, German or French.