About Me

Olaf Eigenbrodt (b. in the 1970s in Bochum, Germany), library manager, library sociologist, lecturer, and author. After a high school education with artitistic focus, he studied literature, philosophy, and history in Bochum and Münster and graduated as Master of Arts. During his student days he worked at the music theatre in Gelsenkirchen and jobbed as waiter and bookseller. He had is first academic experiences as student assistant at the German department at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.
2002 – 2004 he did an internship at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and a Master program in Library and Information Science at Berlin School of Library and Information Science. 2004 he became Building Consultant at the University Library of Humboldt-Universität and as such responsible librarian for the construction of Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum among others. After the successful finalization of this project in 2009, he moved to University of Hamburg as Head of Libraries at the Departments for Language, Literature and Media. 2012-2019 he acted as Senior Head of User Services, Professional Supervisor, and Advisor for Planning and Construction at State and University Library Hamburg. Since December 2019 he is Deputy Director for Library System and Customer Services at State and University Library Hamburg.
Besides this he is visiting lecturer at Berlin School of Library and Information ScienceBavarian Library Academy, and for the joint master programme at Zurich Central Library and University of Zurich.

Olaf Eigenbrodt talks and writes extensively about sociology of libraries, library buildings and equipment, libraries and HE-pedagogy, as well as user services and innovation management in academic libraries; see presentations & publications.

He was a committee member at International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Verein deutscher Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare (VdB), International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) and Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), and member of several advisory boards dealing with library planning and construction.

He is currently a member of the joint library management committee of deutscher Bibliotheksverband (dbv) and Verein deutscher Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare (VDB).

He works as international consultant and lecturer for architects, libraries, authorities, international organisations and advanced training.