Teaching Library
Learn, research, publish – together with the library
Our training courses support you in your studies, thesis, or research process.
You will find suitable offers for literature research, AI tools, literature management, and open research – for students, teachers, and researchers.
*Important:
The Citavi campus license expired on December 31, 2025, and will not be renewed.
Due to changes in the provider's terms and conditions, the ASH Berlin library will not be renewing its license for the Citavi reference management system starting this year.
Library introductions and library tours
Get to know the library.
Learn how to register, borrow items, and make the most of the library. Our introductions provide guidance for students starting their studies—or for school classes that want to get to know the library.
Who is it for? First semester students of ASH
Content: For students who were unable to attend the library's introduction during the orientation days or as a “refresher”. The training course provides an overview of various topics related to library use and also offers a brief introduction to OPAC research. If desired, the content can also be combined with a library tour.
Duration: approx. 1 hour
Where? In person at ASH or online via Zoom
Registration: If you are a teacher at ASH and would like to offer your students training as part of a seminar or course, please feel free to contact us. Send an email to schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu specifying the desired training and suggested dates. The Teaching Library team will contact you.
Who is it for? For OSZ members or external student groups.
Content: For external groups who wish to use the library, this training course provides an overview of various topics related to library use and also offers a brief introduction to OPAC research, combined with a library tour.
Duration: approx. 1 hour. Please note that an on-site library introduction is only possible between 9 and 10 a.m. when the library is still closed.
Where? ASH library or online via Zoom.
Registration: If you are a teacher and you would like to offer your students the opportunity to get to know our library, please feel free to contact us. Please send an email to schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu stating the size of the group and suggested dates. The Teaching Library team will contact you.
The Teaching Library team is available to answer any questions you may have about library introductions and library tours:
schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu
Literature research
How can I find literature?
In this section, you will learn how to search for scientific literature in a targeted manner—in catalogs, databases, and using appropriate keywords und subject headings. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user, we will help you conduct your research with confidence.
Who is it for? students of ASH
Content: The training provides an overview of various techniques and strategies concerning literature search with a focus on database research. The content of the training can be adapted to different fields of study.
Duration: approx. 1,5-2 hours
Where? In person at ASH or online via Zoom
Registration: If you are a lecturer at ASH and would like to offer your students training as part of a seminar or course, please feel free to contact us. Please send an email to schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu specifying the desired training and suggested dates. The Teaching Library team will contact you.
Who is it for? students of ASH
Content: The training provides an overview of various techniques and strategies concerning literature search with a focus on database research.
Duration: approx. 1,5-2 hours
Registration: Click on the links below to view the upcoming training dates and register. You will receive a reminder email one day before the event (for online training, this will include the link for the meeting). In-person training is limited to 12 participants.
Introduction to systematic literature research - online
Introduction to systematic literature research - in person (room K 1.02.)
Who is it for? Students and other members of ASH
Content: This Moodle course will help you learn the techniques and tools you need for successful literature search. Whether you are new to the topic of “literature search” or want to refresh your existing knowledge, this is the right place for you. The course guides you step by step through the entire research process.
Duration: At your own pace/as long and as often as necessary
Registration: Click on the following link to access the Moodle course (self-enrollment without password)
Who is it for? Students and other members of ASH who have already participated the training course “Introduction to systematic literature research.”
Content: In individual consultation sessions, you can ask us your specific questions about literature research, e.g., about subject headings, databases, or research strategies.
Duration: approx. 1 hour
Registration: If you are interested in individual consultations, please send us an email with the following information to schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu:
- Subject: individual consultation, desired date (DDMMYY)
- Surname, first name
- Topic of your term paper or thesis
- Field of study
- What challenges are you facing in your literature research?
We will contact you and provide you with all further information regarding the (technical) implementation of the consultation appointment. If you are unable to attend an appointment, please inform us by mail at schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu.
The Teaching Library team is available to answer any questions you may have about literature research:
schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu
Literature management
Keep track of your sources.
We show you how to collect, manage, and correctly cite literature using a reference management system. Useful for anyone currently writing a term paper or thesis.
Who is it for? students of ASH
Content: The training offers an introduction to Zotero and teaches key functions such as collecting and organizing literature and citing correctly.
Duration: approx. 2 hours
Where? In person at ASH or online via Zoom
Registration: If you are a lecturer at ASH and would like to offer your students training as part of a seminar or course, please feel free to contact us. Please send an email to schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu. The Teaching Library team will contact you.
Who is it for? students of ASH
Content: The training offers an introduction to the free literature management program Zotero.
Duration: approx. 2 hours
Registration: Click on the links below to view the upcoming training dates and register. You will receive a reminder email one day before the event (for online training, this will include the link for the meeting). In-person training is limited to 12 participants.
Introduction to Zotero - online
Introduction to Zotero - in person (room K 1.02.)
Notes:
If you would like to start working with Zotero during the training session, please download the free program (Zotero Desktop for one of the supported operating systems) from the Zotero website: https://www.zotero.org/download/.
Please also install the Zotero Connector for one of the supported browsers. The Zotero Connector is a browser extension that allows you to save bibliographic data in Zotero.
Zotero can also be used on mobile devices. To do so, download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
For citing in Word (not the web version!), LibreOffice, and Google Docs, a corresponding word processing plugin is required, which is automatically installed on your computer when you launch Zotero for the first time. However, manual installation of the plugins is also possible: https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_integration.
Please be sure to check the system requirements for using Zotero as well as the installation instructions.
Who is it for? Students and other members of ASH
Content: This Moodle course will help you learn how to use the Zotero reference management program for your academic work. You will learn how to import, collect, and organize references, assign keywords, and correctly cite sources in your own academic texts.
Duration: At your own pace/as long and as often as necessary
Registration: Click on the following link to access the Moodle course (self-enrollment without password)
"Introduction to Zotero: collecting, organizing, and citing literature"
Who is it for? Students and other members of ASH who have already participated in a Zotero introductory course
Content: In individual consultation appointments, you can ask us your specific questions about reference management programs, e.g., technical implementation or settings.
Duration: approx. 30-60 minutes
Registration: Send us an email with your preferred date and a description of your question or challenge to schulungen.bibliothek@ash-berlin.eu. We will contact you and provide you with further information on the (technical) implementation of the consultation appointment. If you are unable to attend an appointment, please inform us in good time by emailing schulungen.bibliothek@ ash-berlin.eu.
The Teaching Library team is available to answer any questions you may have about literature management:
AI in literature research
Researching with artificial intelligence – but how?
We show how AI tools can be used to explore topics and prepare for a literature search. We place particular emphasis on critically evaluating the results and primarily recommend the use of integrated AI tools in scientific databases.
Artificial intelligence can make literature research easier — if you know how to use it effectively.
On May 29, 2026 (online) and June 23, 2026 (in-person), the Teaching Library team will demonstrate whether and how AI tools can be used for literature research. You can register for the training sessions via the links below. One day before the event, you will receive a reminder email (for the online training, this will include the link for the meeting). The in-person training is limited to 12 participants.
Literature Research with AI - online on May 29, 2026, 14-16:00 p.m.
Literature Research with AI - in person on June 23, 2026, 13-15:00 p.m., K 1.02.
IMPORTANT! Topics such as “What is AI?”, “How does AI work?”, “Effective prompting”, etc., are not part of the training. To ensure you have a basic understanding of AI and how it works, you must complete the training courses offered by the Service Center for the Promotion Writing and Academic Skills before participating. These courses will take place as follows:
May 21, 2026, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. (online)
June 18, 2026, from 12:00–2:00 p.m. (in-person in Room K 1.02).
Further information about the Service Center’s training sessions and registration can be found here.
From April to June 2025, the library held AI Coffee Lectures in collaboration with the Service Center for the Promotion of Writing and Study Skills. Each week, we offered a quick 15-minute knowledge update. The contents of the series are still available below as PDF files in German. Click on the past dates to access the presentation slides.
Topics and dates for the Coffee Lectures “Coffee & AI”
April 8: What is AI? – Fundamentals of generative AI
Introduction to the basic concepts of artificial intelligence and how generative AI works.
April 15: Better results with AI: Tips for prompting correctly
Practical tips for using AI models to achieve accurate and useful results.
April 22: AI tools for literature research: What is really useful?
Presentation of AI-supported tools for literature research and their advantages and disadvantages.
April 29: Finding keywords and optimizing research with AI
How AI helps to identify relevant keywords and make research more efficient.
May 6: Choosing the right databases: How AI can help
Use of AI to select the right databases and refine research.
May 13: AI as a creative partner: From idea to structure
How AI can support idea generation and content structuring.
May 20: AI in studies: What is allowed and what is not?
Overview of ethical and legal aspects of using AI in your studies.
(With Marlene Pardeller / Service Center for the Promotion of Writing and Study Skills)
May 27: Time management for literature research: Your roadmap
How to create a structured time management plan for literature research.
June 3: How to recognize fake news and misinformation
Strategies for identifying and avoiding fake news and AI-generated misinformation.
June 10: Data protection when using AI tools
Tips on data protection and legal aspects when using AI in your studies.
(With Marlene Pardeller / Service Center for the Promotion of Writing and Study Skills)
The Teaching Library team is available to answer any questions you may have about AI in literature research:
Open Research & Scientific Publishing
Making science accessible.
We advise you on open access, publication channels, research data management, and licensing issues—in a practical and personalized manner.
All answers to questions about open research, open access, and electronic publishing can be found on our Open Research page.
Or contact:
Claudia Voigtländer
openaccess@ash-berlin.eu
Development of writing and academic skills
You are writing a term paper/thesis/scientific paper and are asking yourself the following questions:
- How do I plan and write a scientific paper?
- What kind of citation standards are there?
- How do I reproduce literal quotations?
- How do I reproduce indirect quotations?
- What do I have to pay attention to in bibliographies?
The Service Center for the Promotion of Writing and Study Skills (in German: Servicestelle zur Förderung von Schreib- und Studienkompetenzen) will help you with all questions concerning the development of writing and academic skills. The Science Reader (in German: Wissenschaftsreader) also offers helpful support for the writing process as well as for the topics of "academic writing" and "literature research".
