Publikationsservice Universität Würzburg

The Publikationsservice Universität Würzburg (Publishing Service of the University of Würzburg) is the publication advisory and open-access support service operated by the Universitätsbibliothek Würzburg (University Library of Würzburg, UBW). It is not a commercial publisher but a university-library service brand that helps researchers at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and the surrounding academic community navigate the increasingly complex world of scholarly publishing. Its remit covers questions such as which publication form is best for a given project, what open-access publishing means, how to obtain support during the publishing process, and why an ORCID identifier is useful. The service is delivered primarily through personal consultation. Researchers can book an appointment through an online form and choose between a telephone consultation or a meeting via Zoom; for groups, advice can also be provided at the chair or department level. The library asks users to propose three possible appointment times, reflecting a flexible, demand-driven model rather than a fixed counter service. This advisory offering sits within the library's broader "Forschen & Publizieren" (Research & Publish) area, which bundles the library's support for the research lifecycle. The Publikationsservice is part of the Universitätsbibliothek Würzburg, an institution with deep historical roots. A central university library was established in 1619 under Prince-Bishop Gottfried von Aschhausen as the "Bibliotheca Academica Godefridiana," and it was housed in the Renaissance building of the Old University on Domerschulstraße until 1981. Over the centuries the collection grew through purchases of private libraries, the dissolution of the Jesuit college, and the secularization of church property after 1803, accumulating valuable manuscripts and incunabula. Today the library combines this historic heritage with modern digital services. In the digital domain, the library has continued to innovate. In 2026 it introduced BibBot, an AI-supported chat assistant that supplements the digital information service outside regular live-chat hours, using a powerful language model to handle service information and conduct natural conversations. The library also runs public events, special tours, and exhibitions, such as the 2026 special tours for the 104th German Catholic Day that showcased manuscripts including the world-famous "Kiliansevangeliar." The Publikationsservice brand therefore represents the library's contemporary, service-oriented face: a trusted academic support function rather than a commercial product line, aimed at making open and effective scholarly publishing easier for Würzburg researchers.

The Publikationsservice Universität Würzburg is a service of the Universitätsbibliothek Würzburg (University Library of Würzburg, UBW), an institution whose history reaches back to the early seventeenth century. Although the University of Würzburg was first founded in 1402 and re-founded by Prince-Bishop Julius Echter in 1582, neither foundation included a central university library. A central library was only created in 1619 under Echter's successor, Prince-Bishop Gottfried von Aschhausen. This "Bibliotheca Academica Godefridiana" was housed in the Renaissance building of the Old University on Domerschulstraße until 1981. The library's holdings grew rapidly through the acquisition of private book collections, including those of the Augsburg canon Johann Georg von Werdenstein, the Würzburg cathedral vicar Paul Wenger, and the Augsburg citizen Johann Baptist Welser. The Thirty Years' War caused a severe setback, which was only offset by the prudent acquisition policy of Bishop Johann Philipp von Greiffenclau (1699–1719), who supported the library from his own possessions and acquired the private collections of Johann Salentin Faust von Stromberg and Wolfgang Fabricius. Later, the library of the Würzburg Jesuit college, after the order's dissolution in 1773, and the private library of the Enlightenment-minded Prince-Bishop Franz Ludwig von Erthal came to the university library. From 1803, the secularization of church property brought a flood of books into Domerschulstraße, including valuable manuscripts and incunabula from the dissolved cathedral library, the collegiate foundations of Haug and Neumünster, and the Benedictine abbeys of St. Stephan and St. Jakob (Scots Monastery). Over the following centuries the library evolved into the central information and research infrastructure of the university. In the modern era, it has embraced digital services and research support. The Publikationsservice, located within the library's "Forschen & Publizieren" area, reflects this evolution: as scholarly publishing shifted toward open access and digital workflows, the library created a dedicated advisory service to help researchers choose publication forms, understand open-access publishing, obtain support during the publishing process, and use ORCID identifiers. The service is delivered through bookable personal consultations—by telephone, via Zoom, or on-site at a chair or department—with users asked to propose three appointment times. The library continues to innovate. In 2026 it introduced BibBot, an AI-supported chat assistant that supplements the digital information service outside regular live-chat hours, using a powerful language model to process service information and conduct natural conversations. It also maintains a public-facing program of events, special tours, and exhibitions; in May 2026, for example, it offered special tours for the 104th German Catholic Day, displaying manuscripts such as the world-famous "Kiliansevangeliar." The Publikationsservice brand thus sits at the intersection of a centuries-old library tradition and contemporary open-science services.

• 2026

  AI chat assistant BibBot introduced for the digital information service.

• 1981

  Library moves from the Renaissance building of the Old University on Domerschulstraße.

• 1803

  Secularization brings a flood of books, manuscripts, and incunabula from dissolved church collections.

• 1773

  Library of the Würzburg Jesuit college incorporated after the order's dissolution.

• 1619

  Central university library established as 'Bibliotheca Academica Godefridiana' under Prince-Bishop Gottfried von Aschhausen.

A university-library service brand offering free, personalized publishing and open-access advice to researchers, positioned as a trusted academic support function rather than a commercial publisher.

• Publication advisory consultation

  Personal advice on choosing the best publication form, open-access publishing, and support during publishing.

• ORCID support

  Information and guidance on why and how to use an ORCID identifier.

• Appointment booking service

  Online form for booking consultations by phone, Zoom, or on-site at a chair/department.

1. 1Publikationsberatung - Universitätsbibliothekbibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de
2. 2Geschichte - Universitätsbibliothekbibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de
3. 3Über uns - Universitätsbibliothekbibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de
4. 4Presse - Universitätsbibliothekbibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de
5. 5Wikidata: Publikationsservice Universität Würzburgwikidata.org