Library

The library in Monheim am Rhein is a municipal cultural institution. Besides the classic medium of books, there are many other information carriers that bridge the gap between the printed word and the wide range of multi-media formats. Since the introduction of the Monheim Pass, the annual library fee and the fees for renting films and console games have been abolished.

The library has around 45,000 media items on an area measuring1,000 m². They are a magnet for citizens of all ages. Digital services are constantly attracting new groups of users – even outside the traditional opening hours. The items that can be borrowed include fiction and non-fiction books, music CDs, audio books, magazines, DVDs and Blu-Rays, Tonie boxes and Tonies, TipToi pens and the books to go with them. The library can also lend e-readers and GPS devices.

The library provides free internet access for surfing and research purposes. If that is not enough for you, you can use the free municipal Wi-Fi with your own laptop or tablet. Study aids for all kinds of subjects are also available on site. The school student center in the basement, with tables for studying together in small groups, is the ideal place to make use of all these options.

[extern] Bibnet-Onleihe (German only), the library’s online lending service, can be used from the comfort of your own home. More than 22,000 e-books and audio books are available around the clock. Newspapers and magazines on various topics from all over the world can be read via the BibnetPress. Local daily newspapers as well as newspaper giants such as The Washington Post are also available.

People who prefer to do their research at home will find a broad-based encyclopedia with many pictures and sound files in the Brockhaus Online Encyclopedia. In addition, books and essays can be ordered from library universities for a small fee, so that academic work can be done even when you are nowhere near the university. The online services can be accessed with the library's user number and a pre-generated password, which can then be changed at any time.

Makerspace License

Within the library's designated 'Makerspace', individuals can utilize a slide digitizer, 3D printer, plotter, and embroidery machine. Access to these tools requires obtaining a complimentary equipment usage license.

Makerspace License

Dates from August to December 2023

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Baumberg's Kindergarten Library

The children from the Kunterbunt and Villa Regenbogen daycare centers eagerly explore the new facilities within their own building. Photo: Birte Hauke.

In March 2023, the library introduced the Kindergarten Library at the AWO Familienzentrum Baumberg. Monheim's young residents and their parents are warmly invited on Mondays (1 - 4 p.m.), Wednesdays (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.), and Fridays (8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.). Comfy seat cushions and plush carpets provide a cozy atmosphere, encouraging our little guests to unwind and explore. Additionally, parents can engage in meaningful exchanges at a dedicated parents' reading café.

Early and consistent exposure to stories, visuals, books, and other media profoundly influences the development of essential skills such as text comprehension, meaning interpretation, language abstraction, reading enjoyment, written language proficiency, and media literacy. Our media selection emphasizes language enrichment, emotional-social development, and STEM education. Our offerings also extend to pedagogical resources for parents and educators.

Streaming-Plattform Filmfriend

As part of the Filmfriend platform, a video-on-demand solution designed for libraries, our library offers a diverse collection of films for both children and adults, all accessible at no cost via [extern] https://monheim.filmfriend.de. Within the Filmfriend platform, users can enjoy a continuous stream of fresh films and series, including popular selections from national and international television and cinema. The catalog encompasses a broad spectrum, from children's series and German classics to thought-provoking documentaries and international arthouse cinema.

[extern] Visit Filmfriend

Pro Literatur e.V.

If something is missing or you have an unusual request, the library staff and the support association of the library, Pro Literatur, will help you. The association does all the things that the library cannot do in normal operation and so significantly enriches the library's everyday life. For example, it organizes exhibitions as forums for local artists.

From a municipal library to the library of Monheim am Rhein

Schwarz-weiß Foto der alten Bücherei an der Krischerstraße — From 1958 to 1974, the library was housed in the building at Krischerstrasse 35, which also served as a youth center. The picture was taken in May 1967 and the building was demolished in August 2011. (Photo: Karl-Heinz Pohlmann, City Archive)

In 1901, a public library was founded under the then mayor Philipp Krischer. This makes the public library the oldest cultural institution in Monheim.

In 1939, public libraries were also founded in Baumberg and Hitdorf (then still part of Monheim). During the war years, the libraries were administered only provisionally and were rather insignificant. It was only on April 1, 1949, that books could be borrowed regularly again in the three communities of what was then the Monheim district.

In the meantime, the library had found a new home in the school on Lottenstrasse. Old statistics show that, at least in Monheim itself, one in three residents used the library. The year 1958 marked a new chapter in the history of the library: it moved into the youth center on Krischerstrasse and changed the lending system to the customer-friendly open access system.

In 1970, a full-time manager was appointed for the first time, due to the increasing number of tasks. Elisabeth Schumacher held this office until 1997 and was then followed by Martin Führer as library director.

In the 1970s, the population of Monheim grew steadily, and many young families settled in Monheim. In the up-and-coming city, the need for more space arose once again. In 1974, the library moved into attractive premises in the educational and cultural center at Tempelhofer Strasse 13.

In 2008, the council decided that the library would no longer be run by the City, but would be transformed into a non-profit society – the "Bibliothek Monheim am Rhein gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbh," with the EKZ Bibliotheksservice as its shareholder. Martin Führer took over the management of the library. Since 2014, the library of Monheim am Rhein has once again been a municipal institution, integrated into the education and culture sector. It has since included gaming and close cooperation with other educational institutions into its fields of work. After Martin Führer retired in 2019, librarian Nadja Kläsges took over the management of the library.