The library provides books and information resources for researchers, instructors, students and further education at university.

It is also open to residents, agencies and businesses in the Mannheim area.

[1] Mannheim's library system's origins date back to the early 20th century when Mannheim's City College of Trade (Städtische Handelshochschule) was founded in 1907, it maintained a large central library which was supplemented by various departmental libraries.

When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, the College of Trade was dissolved and the books in its library were donated to the University of Heidelberg.

[2] The conventional book supply is complemented by numerous electronic services, such as 30,000 scientific journals, 600 scientific databases and more than 47,000 e-books that can be accessed via e-journal.