RWTH Aachen Universitätsbibliothek

What RWTH Aachen Universitätsbibliothek does

RWTH Aachen Universitätsbibliothek (RWTH Aachen University Library) is a public university library system serving RWTH Aachen University, one of Germany's leading technical universities and a TU9 member. Founded in 1870 and headquartered at Templergraben 61 in Aachen, the system comprises multiple locations including the Main Library (Zentralbibliothek), Library 2 (Bibliothek 2), the Medical Library (Medizinische Bibliothek) inside Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, the Textbook Collection, and the Patent & Standards Information Center (Patent- und Normenzentrum, PNZ). It serves all 10 RWTH faculties (mathematics, engineering, computer science, medicine, humanities, business, etc.) and is described as serving over 47,000 students and researchers.

The core technology stack centers on KatalogPlus, the library's unified discovery platform enabling simultaneous search across the catalog, articles, databases, e-journals, patents, standards, and the RWTH Publications institutional repository. Supporting technology includes RWTH Single Sign-On authentication, electronic resource access via RWTH network and VPN, the DigiBib interlibrary loan platform (Digital Library of NRW University Library Centre), and an AI-supported literature research tool for text-query-based academic search. Subject specialists (Fachreferent/innen) cover every faculty, providing deep advisory services. The PNZ — described in the input as unique among German university libraries — provides patent and standards search, consulting, and Standards on Demand delivery in partnership with DIN Media GmbH.

The library is funded institutionally by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and RWTH Aachen University as a non-commercial public service; it generates no meaningful commercial revenue, with only nominal fees (1.50 EUR per interlibrary loan, 10 EUR card replacement). Primary customer segments are RWTH students (literature access, study spaces, training, reference management), RWTH researchers and faculty (scholarly publishing, open access, bibliometrics, research data management, patents, standards), medical faculty and Uniklinik RWTH staff (specialized medical literature), with secondary segments of general public/guest users and school pupils (research assistance and guided tours). Leadership is led by Library Director Dr. phil. Jochen Johannsen. The library is part of a broader ecosystem including the JARA alliance with Forschungszentrum Jülich, the TU9 consortium of leading German technical universities, and DPMA for IP awareness.

Name

RWTH Aachen Universitätsbibliothek

Legal name

Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen

Website

https://ub.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RWTH Aachen University Library is a public university library system serving RWTH Aachen University's 47,000+ students and researchers across all 10 faculties, providing literature access, scholarly publishing support, patent and standards services, and interlibrary loans through its KatalogPlus platform, with public funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEAGAB

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYEDAEAGAF

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYEDAEAGAL

Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYEDAEAGAE

Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

Keywords

• Academic library services
• Research support services
• Scholarly publishing
• Patent information services
• Information literacy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: Funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and RWTH Aachen University as a core public service institution. No commercial revenue is generated.
2. Interlibrary Loan Fees: Flat fee of 1.50 EUR per interlibrary loan request; article delivery is free for RWTH personnel. Additional charges may apply for articles over 20 pages.
3. Library Card Replacement Fee: 10 EUR fee for replacement of a lost or damaged library card.
4. Standards on Demand: Free for RWTH members and students; if standard price exceeds 300 EUR, the Institute covers 50% of costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RWTH Aachen University Library provides academic information services to RWTH students, researchers, faculty, and external users, including literature search and access (physical and electronic), interlibrary loans, document delivery, patent and standards information services, research data management support, scholarly publishing assistance, reference management training, and on-site study facilities across multiple campus locations. Its primary digital platform is KatalogPlus, a unified discovery system for catalogs, databases, journals, patents, standards, and institutional publications.

Product overview

RWTH Aachen University Library operates as a multi-location academic library system serving RWTH Aachen University. The core offering is KatalogPlus, a unified discovery catalog that provides access to the library's physical and digital collections including books, journals, databases, patents, standards, and institutional publications. Supporting services include interlibrary loan through DigiBib, document delivery services (journal articles and books) for RWTH staff, Standards on Demand for technical regulations, and the Patent & Standards Information Centre (PNZ) for IP services. Specialized facilities include the Medical Library branch serving the Faculty of Medicine, and the Speakers' Room for presentation training with recording equipment. Research support encompasses scholarly publishing services (RWTH Publications repository, Open Access Journals), bibliometric analysis, research data management, and training programs for reference management tools. The library also provides subject specialist services across all academic disciplines, accessibility accommodations, and research assistance for school pupils.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KatalogPlus Discovery Catalog Unified discovery platform enabling simultaneous search of the library's physical and digital holdings, including books, articles, journals, databases, patents, standards, and RWTH publications. Available 24/7 online for all users.
• Interlibrary Loan Service Service allowing users to order books and articles from libraries outside Aachen via the DigiBib platform (Digital Library NRW), with flat-rate fees and delivery to the Main Library.
• Journal Article Delivery Service Free electronic copies of journal articles from library holdings delivered to RWTH staff, ordered through KatalogPlus.
• Book Delivery Service Delivery of books from the library to the nearest reloading point on Melaten Campus for RWTH institutes and faculties.
• Standards on Demand Free ordering of DIN standards and technical rules for RWTH members and students via partnership with DIN Media GmbH; standards over 300 EUR require 50% institute funding.
• Patent & Standards Information Centre (PNZ) IP services including patent search, consulting, intellectual property protection support, and standards information for researchers, SMEs, startups, and inventors. Unique among German university libraries.
• Medical Library Specialized branch library serving the Faculty of Medicine and Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, located in Corridor 27 of the university hospital, with extended operating hours including Saturdays.
• RWTH Publications Institutional repository for documenting and publishing RWTH research outputs, including dissertations and scholarly publications.
• RWTH Open Access Journals Platform for open access journal publishing supported by the university library, enabling RWTH researchers to publish journals with open access distribution.
• Bibliometric Analysis Service Bibliometric analysis services including Journal Impact Factor, H-Index calculations, citation tracking, and Web of Science/SciVal support for RWTH researchers.
• Research Data Management Support services for research data management, publishing, and bibliometrics for RWTH researchers across all disciplines.
• Library Training Programs Training programs including reference management with Citavi, EndNote, and Zotero, plus TU9 Online Trainings and literature research courses.
• Speakers' Room Recording room equipped with Canon Eos 90D camera, tripod, whiteboard, and presentation equipment for practicing presentations and interviews.
• Research Assistance for School Pupils Customized research guidebooks for term papers and guided tours for school pupils researching written assignments, provided free of charge.

Quantifiable outcome

• Main Library and Library 2 open Monday to Sunday 8am to midnight, Circulation Desk open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 7pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Digital Library of the NRW University Library Centre (Hochschulbibliothekszentrum NRW)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe library's interlibrary loan partner, enabling simultaneous search across numerous catalogs and databases. Users can order literature from other German libraries through this platform.
• DIN Media GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationStandards on Demand service supplies DIN standards and technical rules to RWTH members. Electronic delivery via email; DIN's terms and conditions and copyright information are posted on the order page.
• JARA (Jülich Aachen Research Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJARA Coffee Lectures series is a joint initiative providing informal research-related presentations. The alliance connects RWTH Aachen with Forschungszentrum Jülich.
• TU9 German Universities of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared online training courses (TU9 Online-Kurse) offered across nine leading German technical universities, providing consistent training resources for students across the network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TEF Hannover / TIB Hannover: Technische Informationsbibliothek Hannover, Germany's national library for science and technology and a TU9-aligned library. Comparable in research data management, scholarly publishing infrastructure, and STEM collection focus.
• Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt: Combined university and state library of TU Darmstadt (TU9). Directly comparable in serving a TU9 technical university with comparable collections, electronic resources, and research support services.
• Universitätsbibliothek der TU Berlin: Central library of TU Berlin, another TU9 member. Directly comparable in providing discovery platforms, subject specialist services, open access, and research data management to a major German technical university.
• Universitätsbibliothek der TU München: Central university library of TU Munich, another TU9 member serving a leading German technical university. Directly comparable in scope, multi-location structure, research support services, and role within a STEM-heavy university ecosystem.
• KIT-Bibliothek: Library of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a TU9 member. Directly comparable as a multi-location academic library serving a large German technical university with extensive STEM and patent information services.
• Universitätsbibliothek Stuttgart: Library of University of Stuttgart, TU9 member. Directly comparable in subject specialist model, technical literature focus, and integration with engineering and natural sciences faculties.
• SLUB Dresden: Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, serving TU Dresden (TU9). Directly comparable as a combined state and university library providing discovery, publishing, and research data services.

Broad incumbents

• Niedersächsische SUB Göttingen: State and University Library of Göttingen, a major German academic library. Comparable in scholarly publishing, repository, and research data services, though not a TU9 technical university library.

Regional players

• ETH Zürich Bibliothek: Library of ETH Zürich, a leading European technical university. Comparable in discovery services, research support, and open access infrastructure, but serves a Swiss rather than German university.
• EPFL Library: Library of EPFL, a leading European technical university. Comparable in serving a STEM-heavy technical university with research data services, but operates in Switzerland rather than Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCenXqXZvfC9uh12KlsQZ-Ww
• Facebookfacebook.com/131082910249925
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universitaetsbibliothek-rwth-aachen
• Instagraminstagram.com/rwthunibib

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about RWTH Aachen Universitätsbibliothek