Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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  • What are the Languages, Literatures and Music Collections at the BCU/KUB Fribourg?

    Our collections bring together specialist resources designed to support teaching and research in the fields of languages, literatures, linguistics, Slavic studies and musicology. This forms part of our mission to make academic resources available to the academic community and the general public.

    More information

  • Who can use these collections?

    The university collections are primarily aimed at students, lecturers and researchers, but remain accessible to anyone with an interest in them.

  • Do you have to be registered to access it?

    You must be registered to borrow items and use certain services. Registration is free.

    See the BCU/KUB website for more information on how to register.

  • Where are our collections held?

    Our collections are located on the first, second and fourth floors of the BCU/KUB building at Rue Saint-Michel 6.

  • Are the documents freely accessible?

    Most of our collections are available for open access. Other items, held in the stacks, must be requested via the catalogue and are made available at reception.

  • Can the documents be borrowed?

    Yes, most items can be borrowed in accordance with the current lending conditions. Some items (particularly reference works or those from special collections) may only be consulted on site.

  • What are the loan terms?

    The standard terms and conditions are as follows:

    • Free loan
    • Up to 100 items at a time
    • Loan period:
      • 28 days for printed materials
      • 14 days for CDs/DVDs

    More information

  • Can I extend a loan?

    Loans are automatically renewed (up to five times) if the item has not been reserved by another user. You can also renew your loan manually via your reader account.

  • What happens if a return is late?

    Reminder charges apply in the event of late returns. These charges increase depending on the number of reminders sent. You can find further details on the BCU/KUB website.

  • How do I find a document?

    Searches are carried out via the online catalogue (swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg), which allows you to locate items in the various libraries and repositories. Our staff can also help you find the book you are looking for if you provide them with some basic information such as the title, author, ISBN or call number, which you can find in the swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg catalogue.

  • How can I access documents held in the archive?

    Items must be ordered via the catalogue. They are then made available at specific times on the collection shelves.

  • Are there any digital resources available?

    Yes, the BCU provides access to numerous databases, electronic journals and digital resources. These digital resources can only be accessed from library computers, via the university network or via a VPN connection.

  • Can I request a document from another library?

    Yes, a shuttle service (swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg) allows you to request documents from other libraries, subject to a fee.

  • May I suggest purchasing a document?

    Yes, the BCU offers an acquisition suggestion service. You can access the form by clicking here. 

  • Are there any training courses on documentary or information research?

    We offer a course in information literacy for Bachelor’s and Master’s students in the fields of languages, literature and music.

    This course consists of four modules, spread over two years at a rate of one module per semester. It can be taken in French, German or English.

    Participants will gain a basic understanding of how the BCU operates, how to use the swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg catalogue, how to search bibliographic databases, and how to manage and compile bibliographies using specialised software.

    If you would like to organise a training session as part of a course, please get in touch with the contact person for your field of research.

  • Can I work on site?

    The BCU/KUB provides study and reading spaces, group rooms and individual study rooms. For further information, please visit this link.

  • What facilities are available?

    Users have access to computer workstations, Wi-Fi, multifunction printers and reading areas, amongst other facilities.

    On the 4th floor of the open-access musicology section, a digital piano is available to all users in a room specially designated for this purpose. The digital piano can be used free of charge, either on request or by booking (up to two weeks in advance), for a maximum of four hours. To book the digital piano, please contact the Music Information Desk.

  • What are the main rules to follow?

    We invite you to read the BCU/KUB’s terms and conditions of use.

  • Do the collections follow a classification system?

    Yes, they do. Our collections are classified according to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC). Our collections mainly cover three DDC class numbers: 4XX, for languages and linguistics; 780, for musicology; and 8XX, for literature.

    • 400 Languages
    • 410 Linguistics
    • 420 English
    • 430 German and other Germanic languages
    • 440 French
    • 450 Italian
    • 460 Other Romance languages
    • 470 Latin
    • 480 Greek
    • 490 Slavic languages
    • 499 Other languages
    • 780 Musicology
    • 800 Literature
    • 810 North American literature in English
    • 820 English-language literature
    • 830 German-language literature
    • 840 French-language literature
    • 850 Italian literature
    • 860 Spanish-language literature
    • 870–880 Greco-Latin literature
    • 891 Slavic literatures
    • 892–899 World literatures

    More information

  • Where are the reserved collections

    Reserved collections are available for users to consult on site in the library, on the 2nd floor of the BCU Central Library for Languages and Literature, and on the 4th floor for Musicology.

    The relevant materials are marked with specific labels and cannot be borrowed.

    More information

  • Where can I find reference works?
    • Dictionaries: 1st floor of the BCU/KUB
    • Linguistic atlases: 1st floor of the BCU/KUB
    • Sheet music: 4th floor of the BCU/KUB

    For further information regarding dictionaries and linguistic atlases, please contact the information desk for the languages, literature and music collections, located on the 2nd floor. For information regarding sheet music, please speak to the staff on the 4th floor.

  • I am looking for a specific journal article

    1. Identify the exact title, year and issue number of the journal in which the article you are looking for appears.

    2. Search for the journal title or the article title in a journal database (for example, MLA international bibliography for linguistics).

    3. If there are no results: Search for the article or the journal title in the  swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg catalogue or in the Swiss Journal Portal.

    4. If the journal article you are looking for is held by another SLSP library, first check whether the journal is also available in the swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg catalogue. If this is not the case, click on "Inter-library loan service" in swisscovery, log in and complete the article request or interlibrary loan form for the relevant journal volume.

    5. If there is no positive response: contact the staff in the Languages, Literatures and Music Coollections or use the subito service.

    6. Please note: there is a charge for interlibrary loans and requests for copies of articles.

  • I’m looking for a specific book

    1. Search for the book’s title in the swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg catalogue.

    2. If the book you want is available at the BCU (in the stacks): order it online (using your library card and password). You can then collect the book you’ve ordered from the BCU/KUB a little later.

    3. If the book you are looking for is on loan or being acquired: reserve it online (using your library card number and password). You can collect it from the BCU/KUB as soon as you are notified that it is available.

    4. If the book is available at the BCU/KUB: Go to the relevant section (based on its location/call number), take the book, then complete the loan procedure at the self-service terminal at the BCU/KUB loans desk.

    5. If the book is not in the Fribourg catalogue, search the swisscovery catalogue. If you have found the book, request an inter-library loan by clicking on ‘order’. As soon as the book arrives in Fribourg, you will be notified by the BCU/KUB.

    6. If the book is not in the Swisscovery union catalogue or if you find the book in a library that is not part of the SLSP network, complete the online ‘interlibrary loan’ request form in the Discovery Fribourg catalogue to request an interlibrary loan.

    7. If you cannot find the book anywhere: submit a purchase request or contact the BCU/KUB’s interlibrary loan service.

    8. Please note: there is a charge for interlibrary loans.

  • I am looking for literature on a specific topic

    1. Think about the keywords that best describe the topic you are searching for.

    2. Translate the search terms into English as well (if necessary) to carry out a search in a database.

    3. Also translate the search terms into French, as the keywords in the Discovery Fribourg catalogue are displayed in French.

    4. Carry out a “simple search” using these keywords in the swisscovery swisscovery Fribourg-Freiburg catalogue.

    5. If you get too many results, narrow down the results list using the facets on the left: document type, library, language, author, subject, etc.

    6. If you do not have enough results, expand your search to the entire national network (the Swisscovery catalogue).

    7. Note: If necessary, read our subject-specific guides to help you search within your field of study.