faculty handbook

Libraries

The staff of the Boston University Libraries provides extensive service to the entire University community with a collection of more than 5.4 million volumes in paper and microform, thousands of current subscriptions, access to hundreds of bibliographic, numeric, and full-text data bases, and participation in local and national cooperative library networks. The library staff actively seeks suggestions from the faculty in the process of developing collections and services.

Specialized Libraries at BU

The major research library is Mugar Memorial Library at 771 Commonwealth Avenue. Located here are general reference and interlibrary loan services available to everyone in the University. Librarians offer training, consulting and assistance in the use of a vast array of databases and full-text resources across all disciplines. Librarians are also available at faculty request to conduct subject-specific library instruction programs, in the library and in the classroom. The online catalog offers access to the collections of all the libraries. The library is wireless on all floors.

Over the past few years, the Library has extended many of its services and resources to the desktops of the faculty. Faculty may now contact librarians with suggestions, reference questions, requests for instructional sessions or acquisitions directly from their offices or classrooms. Key databases and electronic journals may be accessed from anywhere on campus where an Internet connection may be established. More and more of these resources may now be accessed from off campus as well.

In addition to the features typical of a large academic library, Mugar has several unusual collections and services: a strong African documents collection; a music section with listening stations for more than two hundred people; and a department of Special Collections, containing rare book and historical manuscript collections, the University's Twentieth Century Archives, and many other important holdings offering ample opportunity for research.

As a founding member of the Boston Library Consortium, the Boston University Libraries enhance their own collections by providing faculty and students access and borrowing privileges the following libraries:

More Information

Website Boston University Library
Phone 617-353-3713
Reference and Instructional Services