Mission Statement of KIT Library

Our Mission

KIT Library is the central knowledge partner of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). We support cutting-edge research, excellent teaching, and forward-looking innovation through optimal information provision and tailored services—both on-site and digitally.

Our Identity

We are actively shaping the future of scientific information provision and dissemination. In doing so, we engage in networks and build strategic partnerships at the local, national, and international levels. Through innovative technologies, data-driven services, and personalized solutions, we create added value for studies and research at KIT, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Karlsruhe. In doing so, we are reimagining the library. We connect hybrid learning and work environments with communication spaces, seamlessly bridging the physical and digital worlds.

We acquire, collect, and catalog—in both analog and digital formats—the texts, films, and research data that KIT, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Karlsruhe need to fulfill their missions for society. As a living memory, we preserve the history of KIT—not only for today, but for the researchers of tomorrow. We see ourselves as bridge-builders between the past and the future, between analog and digital, and between knowledge and application.

Our Commitment to Open Science

We practice and promote open science according to the principle “As open as possible, as closed as necessary.” As a driving force for transparency and sustainability, we support the free exchange of scientific findings and democratize access to knowledge.

Our Commitment to a Better World

The United Nations Sustainability Goals are both our inspiration and our mission. Acting in a sustainable and socially responsible manner is important to us. Transferring knowledge to society is one of our core tasks.

Our Services

Research Support: We support the entire research process—from idea generation to reporting and beyond.

Publication Process: We support researchers with organizational and financial assistance, as well as infrastructure services, in publishing their results.

Learning Spaces of the Future: We create versatile, inspiring, and flexible workspaces and meeting areas that foster collaborative learning and creative thinking.

Information Literacy: We foster our users’ ability to navigate a complex information landscape with confidence, critical thinking, and reflection, and we raise their awareness of the implications of generative AI for scholarly work. Together with partners at KIT and other universities, we continue to develop training formats and actively integrate them into teaching.

Data for the Future: We advise researchers in all phases of research data management—from the proposal stage of scientific projects, through dissemination, to sustainability in archiving.

Our Culture

We are a learning organization that continuously evolves within the innovative environment of excellent research at KIT. Through an open, collaborative culture
we create an environment in which our employees can thrive. We invest in the continued education of our employees.

Our Promise

We are more than just a library—we are your partner for the knowledge society of tomorrow.