Münstergasse Library

Infrastructure

• 300 individual work spaces (1^st floor and 1^st and 2^nd basement floors)
• 6 collaborative work spaces with Smartboards and screens with HDMI connectors (reservation required, web page in German/ Terms of use, document in German) (1^st basement floor)
• 24 rentable carrels for long-term use (2^nd basement floor)
• 94 monthly lockers and 12 day lockers (1^st basement floor)
• special reading room for historical collections (1^st basement floor)
• event hall for conferences, training courses, etc. (1^st basement floor)
• wireless network
• Research stations (1^st floor, ground floor and 1^st basement floor)
• Uniprint devices for printing, scanning and photocopying (1^st floor and 1^st basement floor)
• book scanner (1^st basement floor)
• access to Web Archive Switzerland e-Helvetica (1^st floor)
• validation station for UniCards (1^st basement floor)

• Copy card recharge station (1^st basement floor)

• Bibliothek Münstergasse is the oldest library of the UB Bern and houses the historical book collections and various special collections. Books and documents printed before 1900 and the Rara section are managed by the Historical Collections Center ZHB.
• As part of its mandate as a cantonal library, the Münstergasse Library acquires literature from and about the Canton of Berne (Bernensia). The most interesting titles of this collection are available as a reference library in the Information and Bernensia section of Münstergasse Library.
• The majority of the holdings are located in the University Library Storage Facility and can be ordered through our online catalog.
• Reading room in the basement: basic selection of printed reference works from all subject areas (call numbers starting with LS).
• Schultheissensaal: scientific journals, general reference works, books on academic writing and study guides.
• Information and Bernensia section: books on Bernese culture and literature, local newspapers and magazines.
• Newspaper-Lounge: regional, national and international daily and weekly newspapers and popular magazines.
• Access to over 6,000 international newspapers and magazines from over 100 countries in around 60 languages, including up-to-365 Days archive.
• Music streaming database in CD sound quality: "Naxos Music Library" with over 120,000 classical CDs.
• Access to all electronic resources of the University Library (see also databases for customers from the Canton of Berne).

The history of the first secular library building in Switzerland

In 1632, the library received the book collection of the diplomat and humanist Jacques Bongars (1554-1612), doubling the library collection with its over 3000 volumes.

The market stalls and the mule stables on the ground floor were abolished in 1803 and the openings to the arcade were bricked up.

From 1860 to 1863, the library was extended towards the east (Münstergasse 61) by Gottlieb Hebler.

In 1887, the library was divided into a city library and a university library. Eduard v. Rodt oversaw the extension in the west part (Münstergasse 63) from 1904 to 1905.

In 1909, the library gallery of Niklaus Sprüngli was demolished. Since 1911, the gallery's façade has been standing as a fountain façade on Thunplatz.

In 1951, the Canton of Bern, the Burgergemeinde Bern and the residents of the city of Berne created the foundation City and University Library of Bern (StUB). At the same time, the Burgerbibliothek Bern was founded, taking over the manuscript and graphic departments of the former library.

From 2007 to 2009, the City and University Library (StUB) and the university libraries merged to form the University Library of Bern (UB).

The last comprehensive renovation took place from 2014 to 2016. The library building at Münstergasse 61/63 was rebuilt during two and a half years. The renovations were completed in May 2016 and it reopened with the new name Bibliothek Münstergasse.

Building contractor, client: Burgergemeinde Bern

Investment: 37,3 million Swiss francs

Architects: alb architektengemeinschaft ag, Bern