RW21 City Library I Adult Education Center I Reading Café 21 | Onleihe

The RW21 at Richard-Wagner-Straße 21 is Bayreuth's house of lifelong learning: a modern city library, the adult education center, and the inclusive Reading Café 21 under one roof. Since its opening on February 10, 2011, the cultural and educational center has provided over 5,000 sqm of space for thirst for knowledge, encounters, and inspiration. Visitors will find everything that characterizes a contemporary learning and gathering place: analog and digital media, all-day online lending via Onleihe and Overdrive/Libby, free learning and working spaces with Wi-Fi, an art lending library for borrowable art, barrier-free pathways, and a café that invites you to linger among books. Through the connection with the adult education center, readings, courses, and exhibitions are seamlessly integrated into the library's daily life – a vibrant place in the heart of the city, easily accessible on foot, by bicycle, by bus, and with various parking options around Sternplatz. Those planning an event will find suitable rooms in the building, from the Black Box to the creative workshop; those simply seeking a break can enjoy coffee and homemade soups at Reading Café 21.

Onleihe, Overdrive & Digital Offers: Read, Listen, Learn Anytime

Digital reading begins in Bayreuth at RW21 with a click: The city library is part of the Franken-Onleihe and allows with a valid library card the time-limited, but anytime borrowing of eBooks, ePapers, and eVideos. This works from home or on the go – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, RW21 offers the borrowing of English-language eBooks and audiobooks via Overdrive, conveniently usable in the Libby app. Those without their own reading device or who want to try new devices can borrow PocketBook eReaders on-site; available models include Verse, Verse Pro Color, and Era Color. The devices are issued at the information desk on the first floor, can be borrowed for four weeks, and already have the Onleihe app installed; Overdrive can be used depending on the model via the PocketBook x Libby app or the integrated web browser. This makes the entry easy without technical hurdles, as the most important applications are installed. For questions about usage, there are regular digital office hours at RW21, where settings, download paths, and compatibilities are explained step by step. Those who prefer to read on their own laptop or tablet will find powerful Wi-Fi throughout the building via HOTSPLOTS and numerous power outlets. The digital lending complements the physical collection and makes access to literature, language, science, and entertainment independent of opening hours. Because Onleihe and Overdrive are organized in conjunction with other libraries, readers benefit from a large selection of titles that is continuously updated. Tip for frequent users: Reservations and wish lists help keep track of desired media, while regular media tips from the library point out new e-highlights. Those who prefer to start with an eReader can use the loan devices as a test to find out whether high-contrast displays, color options, or audiobook functions best support their reading routine. With this variety, RW21 is the ideal starting point for digital reading – from the first eBook to intensive use with multiple devices.

Reading Café 21: Inclusive Day Café with Regional Offerings and Cultural Flair

Directly in RW21, Reading Café 21 invites you to recharge – a modern coffee house that connects the reading and media worlds of the city library with the learning worlds of the adult education center. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM; the café is closed on Mondays. The menu features top-quality coffee, homemade cakes and pastries, and changing daily specials such as fresh soups and particularly topped bagels. The beverage selection focuses on regionality and seasonality – from garden lemonades to trendy colas. In addition to the culinary aspect, culture is naturally included: literature cafés, small exhibitions, language cafés from the adult education center, or meetings of the chess club provide lively moments between cappuccino and newspaper. The special aspect is the inclusive concept: The operator of Reading Café 21 is Lebenswerk gGmbH, a company of the Diakonie Bayreuth; people with disabilities shape the daily operations here with clear, trained processes. This creates a warm, open atmosphere – many guests quickly become regular customers. The location in the middle of the building also makes the café an ideal meeting point before a course begins, after research, or during a study break. Those planning an event at RW21 benefit from short distances: The team at Reading Café 21 can provide catering directly in the building, from coffee break catering to small snacks for workshops. This makes lectures, readings, and seminars logistically simpler and more personal. Architecturally, Reading Café 21 also fits harmoniously into the spaces of RW21: bright zones, cozy seating areas, and sightlines to the library convey the feeling of sitting in an urban living room where books, conversations, and enjoyment belong together.

Location, Access & Parking: Centrally Accessible on Richard-Wagner-Straße

Visitors to RW21 benefit from excellent accessibility in the heart of Bayreuth. Several bus lines lead within a few minutes' walk to the building. At the Oberfrankenhalle stop, lines 304 (Bayreuth ZOH – Birken – University), 316 (Bayreuth Hbf – Hofgarten – Campus), and 326 (ZOH – Oberfrankenhalle – Campus – ZOH) stop; line 304 runs every 20 minutes. The Wahnfried stop is served by lines 302 (ZOH – Aichig – St. Johannis) and 307 (Aichig – ZOH – Klinikum – Dörnhof) every 30 minutes. At Sternplatz, line 314 (ZOH – Saas – Südfriedhof) runs every 20 minutes. In the evening from 7:45 PM and on Sundays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, line 223 additionally connects Sternplatz and Oberfrankenhalle. Bicycle parking spaces are available directly in front of the entrance. By car, several parking options are available in the immediate vicinity: the Sternplatz underground garage (P8) nearby, the Badstraße (P7) and Oberfrankenhalle (P1, Am Sportpark 5) parking garages, and the Stadthalle parking lot (P6, Am Geißmarkt 8). For quick errands, there is free short-term parking in Dilchertstraße. The central address Richard-Wagner-Straße 21 is also easy to find for outsiders and is ideally located to combine a library visit with a city walk. Conveniently, those wishing to return media outside of opening hours can use the return option daily between 5:00 AM and 12:00 AM. And those attending an evening course at the adult education center can access the course rooms outside library hours via the entrance on Werner-Siemens-Straße. This keeps the building flexibly accessible – whether for a quick stop to return media, a focused study session, or evening continuing education.

Learning & Workspaces, Wi-Fi, and Digitalization: Focused Work with Strong Infrastructure

A central advantage of RW21 is the many learning and workspaces distributed throughout the building. For spontaneous research and longer projects, there are numerous internet workstations; additionally, the library lends laptops for on-site use. Those working with their own device can easily connect to the free Wi-Fi via HOTSPLOTS. Five freely accessible learning cabins offer retreat options for individuals and small groups; each equipped with a PC, internet access, USB port, printing options for a fee, and common office programs. For printing and copying, devices for A4 and A3 are available; billing is conveniently done via the library card or a day ticket available at the cash machine. A unique feature is the digitization station on the second floor: Here, analog treasures such as slides, negatives, audio cassettes, video tapes, or records can be independently secured for the future. A state-of-the-art book scanner also enables efficient scanning of texts up to large formats; the use of the book scanner is free of charge. For people who read with aids, a screen reader is available in the magazine area that can greatly enlarge texts and display them with different contrasts. To ensure that as many people as possible can use this infrastructure, PC and laptop use is free; only printing incurs fees. Those without a library card can obtain a day ticket and thus also work on the devices. For questions, the team at the info point on the first floor is available to help. In total, a working environment is created that meets the needs of students, professionals, creatives, and families alike: quiet zones for concentration, open areas for collaborative learning, and flexible offerings for digital projects – from the thesis chapter to the digitization of the family archive.

Renting Rooms at RW21: Black Box, Creative Workshop, Gallery, and Adult Education Seminar Rooms

Event organizers will find suitable rooms with modern equipment at RW21. The centerpiece for compact events is the Black Box in the basement: Depending on the seating arrangement, up to 80 chairs are possible on 140 sqm. The basic technical equipment includes a screen, projector with projection cart, podium, a speaker system with stands, table and wireless handheld microphones, as well as two headsets, plus stage lighting with control panel. Twelve stage elements (each 2 m x 1 m) with stairs and railings allow for variable stage setups; six bistro tables support break settings. Free Wi-Fi is included. For smaller workshops, the creative workshop on the ground floor with 42 sqm and up to 30 chairs is suitable; here, among other things, water connection, screen, whiteboard, and projector are available. Exhibitions find their place in the gallery on the first floor with 26 running meters of gallery rails and space for vernissages. Storytime sessions are held in the group forum on the ground floor, a repurposed staircase in the children's area for about 20 children. Additionally, the top floor of the adult education center offers health, event, and IT rooms, a cooking studio, and further seminar rooms. Special conditions apply for political events; the Black Box is also available to parties and electoral groups according to city council resolution. Logistically practical is the in-house catering: Reading Café 21 takes care of catering directly in the building upon request, from coffee and cake to small savory snacks. Those staying overnight in the city will find a hotel across the street; the central location makes arrival and departure easy. With the variety of rooms, lectures, readings, panel discussions, club meetings, or creative workshops can be precisely planned and technically implemented.

History, Architecture & Special Features: An Open House Since 2011

RW21 was opened on February 10, 2011, after a two-year renovation and has since understood itself as an open, barrier-free house for education, culture, and encounter. The development dates back to the 2000s when the city library and adult education center were jointly looking for a suitable property due to a lack of space and eventually found it in the former department store of the Oberpaur company. From the concept of a center for lifelong learning emerged a location that today encompasses over 5,000 sqm and cleverly intertwines library, further education, and gastronomy. The fact that accessibility was considered from the beginning is evident in many details: guiding lines for visually impaired people, an elevator with a tactile control panel and acoustic announcement, an additional outdoor elevator at the adult education center entrance, tactile door signs, marked stair railings, sufficient movement areas for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers, as well as a special media offering with large print, easy language, DAISY audiobooks, and films with subtitles. A mobile inductive hearing system can be used at events; a screen reader in the magazine area facilitates longer reading. In addition to media and learning spaces, the house offers a special cultural offering with the inclusive art lending library: artworks can be borrowed for a small fee for twelve weeks and extended upon request – ideal for practice, office, or living room. The fact that inclusion is lived here is evident in the collaboration with local initiatives and in that mentally impaired artists receive a platform. The proximity of the institutions creates synergies: exhibitions arise from collaborations between the library and adult education center, lectures meet readings, and the Reading Café creates culinary lightness as a connection point for conversations. The clear opening hours of the library (Tue–Fri 10 AM–6 PM, Sat 10 AM–3 PM) and the generous return option from 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM daily are also practical. Thus, RW21 remains not only a place to borrow media or attend courses but an urban living room that is firmly anchored in the everyday life of the city.

Opening Hours, Services & Tips for a Successful Visit

For a relaxed visit, a quick look at the services at a glance is worthwhile. The city library opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM; it is closed on Mondays. Media can be returned daily from 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM – a plus for those who leave for work early or come home late. Those attending an evening adult education course can access the building via the Werner-Siemens-Straße entrance outside library hours. On-site, info points and friendly teams are available to assist with research, device lending, digital questions, and room planning. Tech-savvy visitors will find PC workstations with common browsers and office programs; printing is available in black and white and color. The Wi-Fi via HOTSPLOTS is usable without time limits. For focused phases, the learning cabins operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Those wishing to read digitally can register for Onleihe and Overdrive/Libby with their library card, download titles to their own reader, or test the in-house PocketBook models. Culture and enjoyment come together in Reading Café 21 – ideal for breaks between research and courses. The central location on Richard-Wagner-Straße offers good connections to bus lines as well as several parking garages like P8 Sternplatz, P7 Badstraße, and P1 Oberfrankenhalle; for quick errands, there is free short-term parking in Dilchertstraße. For event organizers, the Black Box with up to 80 chairs, stage, sound and lighting technology provides a compact stage; smaller formats find space in the creative workshop, exhibitions in the gallery. With this mix of service, location, and program, a library visit becomes a versatile city experience – whether with a latte in the Reading Café, with the next eBook on the reader, or with friends in an evening course.

Sources:

• Onleihe, Overdrive & eBook Reader - City Library Bayreuth
• Reading Café 21 - RW21 City Library
• Location & Access - RW21 City Library
• Learning & Workspaces - RW21 City Library
• Rental - RW21 City Library
• 15 Years RW21 - City Library Bayreuth
• Opening Hours & Contact - RW21 City Library
• Accessibility - RW21 City Library