The Future of Libraries is Open

This year, the ULB Darmstadt, together with all university libraries in Hesse, is introducing the new library software ‘folio’ (‘The Future of Libraries is Open’), which replaces the library IT system established in 1997 for managing all lending, acquisition and cataloguing processes.

The first step will be to convert the components relating to user data and loan transactions. The system change will take place during ongoing operations. Unfortunately, there will be some restrictions on use in order to ensure a smooth migration process.

We will keep you up to date on this page as to when which services will be unavailable or available again.

All ULB locations will remain open as usual during the migration. The service desks will also remain open, but will not be able to offer all services to the usual extent. A detailed list of services and restrictions can be found in the table below.

Orders and reservations cannot be transferred. You will need to reorder the affected media once the migration is complete. To find the books quickly afterwards, we recommend that you create a watch list in your library account in advance and save all relevant books there.


Interlibrary loan orders are not affected by this. They will remain during the migration and do not need to be reordered.

The loan periods for your media have already been adjusted so that no media should be due during the migration. Does one of your loan periods fall within our migration period? Don't worry, you will not receive a reminder for this.

With the changeover, semester loans will no longer be possible. After the migration, all textbooks will have a loan period of four weeks.

After the migration, you will be able to renew media online five times instead of four times as before. Further renewals beyond this are not possible. In addition, books from the interlibrary loan service can be renewed online a maximum of two times, subject to the approval of the supplying library.

Collection authorisations cannot be transferred during the migration. You are welcome to submit a new collection authorisation to us in advance. We will transfer this to our new system as soon as the migration has taken place. Click here for the new form:


Authorisation for the collection and use of media (only available in German) (opens in new tab)


After the migration, collection authorisations can also be issued for a limited period. The authorisation expires automatically after the period you have specified. Furthermore, it will no longer be necessary for you to give another person a copy of your library card. In future, it will be sufficient for the person collecting the items to present their own library card.

Services and restrictions during the migration

area service until March 17, 2026 March 03 -
March 22, 2026 		March 23 –
March 29, 2026 		March 30 –
April 6, 2026 		as of April 7, 2026
media retrieval orders for ULB's own media ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
reservations ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
loaning of available media ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
loaning of open-access collections ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
inspection of available reading room orders ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
on-site use of open-access collections ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
return of media ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
online-catalogue research of ULB holdings in TUfind ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅
research of ULB holdings in the HeBIS union catalogue ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
access to eResources ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅
access to the online library account ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅
all about your library account issuing library cards ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
activation of Athena cards ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
blocking or unblocking library accounts ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
renewal of memberships ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
ULB as a learning facility use of single study rooms ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
booking and use of group work rooms ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅
use of lockers that have already been borrowed ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
receipt of new locker keys ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
use of free workstations ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
interlibrary loan setting up and paying into interlibrary loan accounts ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
placing interlibrary loan requests ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
payment functions payment of reminder fees ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
AOB receipt and return of laptops ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅
submitting purchase requests ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
provision of purchase requests ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅