GIGA Library

Welcome to the largest non-university information centre for Area Studies and Comparative Area Studies in Germany.

With approximately 200,000 books and 11,000 online journals, plus more than 120,000 online documents, the GIGA Library is the largest non-university information centre for Area Studies and Comparative Area Studies in Germany. We stock a large collection of literature on economic, political, and social developments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Identified as an “outstanding research library,” the GIGA Library was funded by the German Research Foundation.

The GIGA Library is publicly accessible. Its holdings are largely available for inter-library loan.

Main Location

Neuer Jungfernstieg 21 20354 Hamburg Phone: +49 40 42825-580 Email: [email protected]

Opening hours

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.‒5:00 p.m.

Facilities

7 PC workstations, 14 reading or notebook workplaces
group study room, parent–child workroom
free Internet access (eduroam, guest Wi-Fi)
copier/scanner with USB port

Asia Collection

Rothenbaumchaussee 32 20148 Hamburg Phone: +49 40 42825-580 Email: [email protected]

Opening hours

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.‒5:00 p.m.

Facilities

7 workstations
free Internet access (eduroam, guest Wi-Fi)
copier/scanner

Head

Jan Lüth

Head of Research Library and Information Services

[email protected]

Online Catalogue (OPAC)

Documents

Regulations

Collections

The GIGA Library holds collections on Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Middle East, as well as a transregional collection on Comparative Area Studies theory and methods.

Collections

Literature Search

In our Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) you can find our:

books
papers
book articles
journal articles
magazines

in both print and electronic format.

You can also search the World Affairs Online (WAO) database, which offers approximately 960,000 titles on International Relations and Area Studies topics – of which 123,000 have links to full texts online. The WAO is one of the largest social science literature databases in Europe. The catalogue is available in German, English, and French.

More databases

Electronic Journals Library (EZB)

German Union Catalogue of Serials (ZDB) for printed journals

Database Information System (DBIS): Here you can find information on bibliographic databases, reference books and encyclopaedias that are managed at the GIGA Library.

Service

Borrowing

Borrowing is possible upon presentation of an ID card or comparable document. The loan period is three weeks. An extension by email is possible, provided the media in question has not been pre-ordered. If borrowed media are urgently needed again at the GIGA, a shortening of the loan period is possible. Borrowed media can be returned Monday to Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in one of the three GIGA lockers in the foyer of the building at Neuer Jungfernstieg 21 or during the service hours at the respective locations.

Inter-library loaning

A regular inter-library loan service
Books: Four-week loan period
Journal articles: Preparation of photocopies (up to 20 pages free of charge, larger quantities EUR 0.30 + 19% VAT per page, payment in advance)

Regulations

Open Access

The concept of “Open Access” has empowered the GIGA to virtually eliminate the financial, technical, and legal barriers normally faced by many of those seeking to access the Institute’s research findings. This publication strategy ensures that people all around the world have the opportunity to keep up with the latest advances in scholarship.

Open Access at the GIGA

Notification

Social Media

Notification

Social Media

GIGA Library

Main Location

Opening hours

Facilities

Asia Collection

Opening hours

Facilities

Head

Jan Lüth

Documents

Collections

Literature Search

More databases

Service

Borrowing

Inter-library loaning

Open Access