Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum

The Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Center is a University Library of Humboldt-Universität. This scientific library is open to general public but some seats in reading room are only reserved for Humboldt University students. The Grimm Center houses special historical and art collection items which may only be used on site within Research Reading Room. On last floor there is a special reading room for mothers with children or pregnant women. Toddlers can play while mothers study. The library is open until midnight from Monday to Friday and until 6 p.m on weekends. There is a new lending automation system for books you request at the magazine and you will get ordered items from automatic lending kiosk. Service is very friendly and helpful. The Swiss architect Max Dudler who built this building won several prizes in 2009 and 2010.

So far this is the best place for student for their intensif study. Cozy place, quite and spacious. Its has so many books from different type of studies. For me, as not a Humboldt student, its very easy to register and borrowing the books. They have advance library system and catalog. You can borrow until 30 books at the same time, and you can also can request books from different library with cost only 1,5EUR / book. The opening times its amazing, Mon-Fri its open from 08-24, and its also open on the weekend and holiday from 10-18.

Oh, the Grimm Center... I almost lived there during the 4 years of my study. The greatest thing about it is its being located at the very city centre. Close to the main campus and the student's canteen (Mensa) in the main building. Also, it has long open hours, which is great. There're quite a few disadvantages though. First, there are too many people studying there. The library is open to everybody and it's almost impossible to find a place to work there especially if you arrive between 12 and 18 pm. Then, it's too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer (the problem is known to the administration of the building, students have already talked to them about it). And then the cafeteria, which used to be really great - they served a variety of cheap, tasty and healthy soups every day - now doesn't offer a real, healthy lunch anymore. Also, there're too few Mensacard lockers and the remaining padlock lockers are not very safe - it even happened to me that I forgot what the number of my locker was and tried to open a few and I managed without problems... So I can imagine it's even easier if some one really tries to steal. Generally, it could be a lot better, but I'm quite sentimental about the library so I give it 3 stars.