ULB - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn

What ULB - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn does

ULB - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn is the central library of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and simultaneously serves as the regional state library (Landesbibliothek) for North Rhine-Westphalia, operating since 1818 as a public-law institution under the supervision of the NRW Ministry of Culture and Science. It serves the University of Bonn's approximately 35,000 students, researchers, and faculty as the primary user base, supplemented by external users, school students, and teachers. The library operates two physical locations — the Hauptbibliothek at Adenauerallee 39-41 (humanities, social sciences, law, economics, theology, psychology, historical collections) and the Abteilungsbibliothek MNL at Friedrich-Hirzebruch-Allee 4 (medicine, natural sciences, computer science, agricultural sciences) — both open daily 08:00-24:00.

The library's technology stack is built on Plone CMS for the public website, Matomo for web analytics, and the bonnus search portal as the integrated discovery layer across physical and electronic collections. Supporting systems include an MRBS-based workspace booking system, an automated light-curtain entry control system with accessible gates, and integrations with the hbz library service center (interlibrary loan), ZB MED Bonn site, Schneider Mikrocomputertechnik's old catalogue, and the Uni Bonn App for digital library card access. Core products and services include bonnus (search), bonndoc (institutional publication server), the Medienzentrum with PC workstations and equipment rental, the Research Data Service Unit (Servicestelle Forschungsdaten), the Open Access Service Unit (Servicestelle Open Access), training programs in Zotero, Citavi, and DaVinci Resolve, Rosetta Stone language learning, and interlibrary loan. The licensed electronic collection includes thousands of e-journals, e-books, and databases, with the Springer 2026 e-book packages added through the E-Books.NRW consortium.

ULB Bonn operates as a publicly funded institution with no commercial revenue model in the conventional sense; standard library services are provided free of charge to University of Bonn members, with only minor administrative fees for specific incidents (€25 for lost locker keys, interlibrary loan charges, overdue penalties). Marketing and distribution are conducted through the University of Bonn's institutional channels (eCampus, bonndoc, direct email), and the library operates within the BonnerBibliotheken cooperation network alongside other Bonn-area libraries with a joint parallel search platform. Leadership is provided by Director Dr. Ulrich Meyer-Doerpinghaus.

Name

ULB - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn

Legal name

Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn

Website

https://ulb.uni-bonn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1818

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ULB Bonn is the central university and state library of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, serving approximately 35,000 students, researchers, and faculty through two Bonn locations, the bonnus search portal, electronic collections, research data and open access services, and consortium-procured e-resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Academic library services
• Research data management
• Open access publishing
• Interlibrary loan services
• Digital library resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ULB Bonn is the central university and state library of the University of Bonn, providing physical and digital library services including collection lending, reading room access, interlibrary loan, research data management, open access publishing via bonndoc, subject-specialist consultations, and digital access to thousands of e-journals, e-books, and databases. It operates two main physical facilities (Hauptbibliothek and MNL Branch) and provides 24/7 digital access to electronic resources for authorized users. Supplementary services include a workspace booking system, Media Centre equipment rental, training courses, language learning (Rosetta Stone), and citation management licensing (Citavi).

Product overview

The Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (ULB) Bonn is a university and state library providing a comprehensive portfolio of digital and physical library services. The core digital infrastructure consists of bonnus (the search portal) and bonndoc (the institutional publication server), supplemented by specialized services including the Medienzentrum (Media Center) with PC workstations and equipment rental, a workspace booking system, interlibrary loan services, research data management support, and Open Access publishing support. The library offers training programs for reference management tools (Citavi, Zotero), video editing (DaVinci Resolve), and language learning (Rosetta Stone). Additional services include course reserves (Seminarapparate), writing consultations, digitized historical newspaper collections, and the NS-Raubgut research project. The library operates two main locations: the Main Library (Hauptbibliothek) and the MNL Branch Library (Abteilungsbibliothek Medizin, Naturwissenschaften und Landbau), along with numerous institute and subject libraries across the University of Bonn.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• bonnus Search Portal The central search portal of ULB Bonn enabling users to search across all library collections, access electronic media, manage favorites lists and search histories, and interact with their library account.
• bonndoc Publication Server The publication server of the University of Bonn where scientific publications from the university can be published electronically and made openly accessible.
• Medienzentrum (Media Centre) Located in the Abteilungsbibliothek MNL, offering PC workstations, equipment rental, and training courses, and connecting cross-media offerings of the University of Bonn.
• Arbeitsplatz-Buchungssystem (Workspace Booking System) Booking system for reserving individual workspaces, group study rooms, scan stations, and video stations at the Main Library and MNL Branch Library.
• Fernleihe (Interlibrary Loan) Service allowing users to order media not available at the University of Bonn from external libraries, or procure them through direct delivery services.
• Servicestelle Forschungsdaten (Research Data Service) Supports researchers in all aspects of research data management — from planning and applying for research projects to publication and archiving of research data.
• Servicestelle Open Access Service providing information on current funding opportunities, consulting offerings, and guidance on choosing the appropriate usage license.
• Schulungen und Tutorials (Training Courses) Training offerings including Zotero, DaVinci Resolve video editing, writing consultation, and reference management workshops.
• Historische Zeitungen Digitalisierung (Historical Newspaper Digitization) A state-wide project in North Rhine-Westphalia, funded since 2017, for digitizing historical newspapers.
• NS-Raubgut Projekt (NS-Looted Property Project) The largest ongoing looted property project in Bonn, dedicated to the first systematic review of the ULB's old holdings for books removed due to Nazi persecution.
• Rosetta Stone Language Learning Language learning platform licensed by the ULB allowing University of Bonn members to learn languages flexibly and independently.
• Citavi Reference Management Reference management software license extended until end of 2028, supporting students and researchers in all phases of academic work.
• Seminarapparate (Course Reserves) Service allowing lecturers to set up course reserves with ULB holdings for their courses, making selected literature available to students for an entire semester.
• Offene Schreibberatung (Open Writing Consultation) Free monthly writing consultation for students in the Learning Space+ of the Main Library, offered by Studierendenwerk Bonn.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kooperation BonnerBibliothekencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerULB Bonn participates in the BonnerBibliotheken cooperation, a network of numerous libraries in Bonn with large and specialized collections. A joint parallel search across participating library collections is available via the BonnerBibliotheken platform at www.bonnerbibliotheken.de.
• Servicestelle Forschungsdaten (Research Data Service)coreOthersThe Servicestelle Forschungsdaten (Research Data Service) is an internal service unit of the ULB Bonn that supports researchers across all aspects of research data management — from planning and funding applications to publication and archiving of research data.
• Servicestelle Open Access (Open Access Service)coreOthersThe Servicestelle Open Access supports researchers with information on current funding opportunities, consulting services, and guidance on choosing the appropriate usage license. It is an internal service unit of the ULB Bonn.
• Open Science Community Bonn (OSCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe newly founded Open Science Community Bonn (OSCB) is a cross-disciplinary community for researchers at the University of Bonn who want to learn about, discuss, and help shape open, transparent, and collaborative science. It is supported by the Servicestelle Forschungsdaten and Servicestelle Open Access of ULB Bonn.
• Hochschulbibliothekszentrum des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (hbz)coreTechnology or IntegrationHBZ is the North Rhine-Westphalian Library Service Center. For interlibrary loan orders, user data is transmitted to hbz at Jülicher Str. 6, 50674 Cologne for the purpose of performing interlibrary loans.
• ZB MED - German National Library of MedicinecoreTechnology or IntegrationZB MED at its Bonn location works with ULB Bonn for ordering, reserving, borrowing, and extending items from its Bonn holdings. Data is shared for the purpose of recording and processing loans.
• E-Books.NRW ConsortiumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorULB Bonn acquired all eight German-language Springer e-book packages with copyright year 2026 within the E-Books.NRW consortium, a statewide NRW consortium for licensing large e-book collections for universities.
• Rosetta StoneminorOthersULB Bonn provides access to Rosetta Stone language learning software, enabling University of Bonn members to learn languages flexibly and independently.
• CitaviminorOthersULB Bonn holds a site license for Citavi reference management software, extended through end of 2028, available for use by University of Bonn members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ULB Münster: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Münster is a virtually identical-in-name and -mandate university and state library in NRW. It is the most directly comparable peer in the same state, with overlapping consortia and similar service portfolio.
• ZB MED – Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften: ZB MED is a national subject library for the life sciences with a Bonn location that already partners with ULB Bonn for ordering, reserving, and borrowing. Directly comparable as a specialized library providing research and access services in life sciences.
• Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg: Heidelberg University Library is one of Germany's largest and most renowned academic libraries, with extensive historical collections, modern digital services, and a strong research support profile. It is a peer in scale and service breadth for a top-tier research university library.
• SLUB Dresden: Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden is a combined state and university library serving TU Dresden and the Free State of Saxony. Like ULB Bonn, it operates a dual university/state mandate, large digital collections, and research support services, making it the closest functional analog among German peers.
• SUB Hamburg: Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg is a combined state and university library serving the University of Hamburg and the city/state of Hamburg. Comparable to ULB Bonn in dual mandate, digital infrastructure, and research data services.
• USB Köln: Universitäts- und Stadtbibliothek Köln is a combined university and city library serving the University of Cologne. Operates in the same NRW ecosystem with overlapping consortium relationships (hbz, E-Books.NRW) and a comparable dual-mission service model.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Nationalbibliothek: German National Library is the central archival library of Germany, responsible for collecting and cataloguing all German-language publications. It is a broader institutional peer in the national library architecture, not a direct competitor but a complement to ULB Bonn's regional/state role.
• Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: Bavarian State Library is the largest state library in Germany and a central facility with a national footprint. While not a direct university library, it overlaps with ULB Bonn in serving as a state-level cultural and scholarly resource and a coordinator of statewide digital initiatives.
• TIB – Leibniz-Informationszentrum Technik und Naturwissenschaften: TIB is Germany's national library and information center for science and technology, with a strong focus on research data management and digital infrastructure. Comparable to ULB Bonn's research data and open science ambitions at a national scale.

Others

• hbz – Hochschulbibliothekszentrum des Landes NRW: The NRW library service center provides shared infrastructure (including ILL and digital services) to all academic libraries in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a key infrastructure partner and ecosystem enabler for ULB Bonn rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulb---universit%C3%A4ts--und-landesbibliothek-bonn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ULB - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn