The library of the Department of Social Work is a specialised academic library. It is open to the public. Its holdings comprise all subjects of the degree programmes offered by the department. The library is affiliated to NEBIS.
Mon–Fri
8 am–5:30 pm
The front desk is staffed from 9:30 am
Outside our opening hours, you can return media between 8 am and 6 pm (working days only). The returns box is located at the entrance on Hallerstrasse 8. It is emptied at 10 am. Media left in the box after closing time will only be registered as returned on the next day.
The library holdings include books, DVDs, journals, databases, eJournals and eBooks. The physical stock is freely accessible and available for loan (library ID required). Students and staff of BFH can access its electronic media and online resources through the BFH network (bfh Wi-Fi or VPN). All other visitors can use the research stations in the library.
Fields of specialization: social work and related sciences
A library ID is required to borrow media. If you do not have one, please register and pick up your ID from the library. The ID is available free of charge and valid in most libraries in Switzerland. Use your NEBIS user account to manage your loans.
Outside our opening hours, you can return media between 8 am and 6 pm (working days only). The returns box is located at the entrance on Hallerstrasse 8. It is emptied at 10 am. Media left in the box after closing time will only be registered as returned on the next day.
If you need books, eBooks or journals for your research, we recommend using swissbib.ch, a library catalogue for all of Switzerland. The Social Work Library is affilliated to NEBIS and its holdings are indexed in the NEBIS catalogue.
Students and staff of BFH can access them through the BFH network (bfh Wi-Fi or VPN). All other visitors can use the research stations in the library.
The same conditions apply to the EZB (Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek), which lists the eJournals available in the library.
The project to build the Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP), which has been running for several years, will not merely unite the BFH libraries on one platform. At the same time, over 500 university libraries and other scientific libraries across the nation will be migrated to the new SLSP platform. The GoLive is scheduled for 7 December 2020. The changeover will lead to the following adjustments for users.
The majority of BFH libraries today are part of the NEBIS network – their users will find that the new SLSP search interface looks familiar. For users of the HKB Music Library and the Sports Media Centre at Magglingen the changes will be greater. The libraries will provide all users with appropriate information and support.
The changeover requires all library uses to re-register.
The data of library uses will be stored on a server in the Netherland. Therefore, the authorisation for the transfer of the necessary personal data will be required at the time of registration.
Up to now only the libraries in the NEBIS network were able to offer users the possibility to order media from other libraries and collect them from their own. The HKB Music Library and the Sports Media Centre at Magglingen are pleased to offer this service as well from December 2020.
For external users this service will be subject to a fee whereas for members of BFH the costs will be covered by the BFH libraries
The replacement of the old library system will take place in stages. Borrowing media will probably be possible until a few days before the GoLive in December. Other processes such as recording and modifying catalogue data will be stopped by late October, and new media cannot be incorporated after that. The NEBIS lending network will probably discontinue its service by mid-November. From then on, orders can only be placed for collection on site or by postal dispatch (if offered). Reserving media on loan will no longer be possible.
The BFH libraries will inform you in due course about the further procedure and about any steps you will be required to take.
