Library Resources for SSW Students

There are 12 libraries at the university. The main research library is Mugar Memorial Library and most of the materials related to social work are in this library.
The holdings of the libraries include 2 1/2 million books, over 30,000 journals, microfilm, maps, and CDs. A growing collection of electronic resources includes more than 250 electronic databases and 37,000 online journals.

Library Catalog

The online catalog library.bu.edu and other electronic resources are available in the library and from off- campus. The catalog includes materials at Mugar Memorial Library and other campus libraries.

Information on accessing electronic resources from off-campus is available at www.bu.edu/library/research/connecting.html

Databases most useful for social work research are PsycINFO, Social Services Abstracts, Medline, Social Sciences Full Text, Sociological Abstracts, and PAIS. Other databases may also be useful, depending on the research topic. All of the electronic databases can be accessed at www.bu.edu/library/indexes

Some databases provide links to full-text articles while others provide only citations and abstracts. To see whether a journal for which you have a citation is available online, please check the electronic journals list at www.bu.edu/library/ejournals

If a book or journal is not available at Boston University, the library can obtain it for you through interlibrary loan. You can request interlibrary loan at the reference desk at Mugar Memorial Library or you can make the request online at www.bu.edu/library/ill.
Another resource that provides access to books that are not owned by Boston University is the Virtual Catalog www.bu.edu/library/vc. You can request books from the 14 libraries that are presently participating in the Virtual Catalog and can expect to receive those books within a week.

Librarians have developed research guides on many different topics, including social work and psychology. These guides include both print and electronic resources that may be useful to you in doing research. The guides are available at www.bu.edu/library/guides

Boston University is part of a 19 member library consortium that includes Boston College, MIT, Northeastern, Tufts, and Brandeis. The list of participating libraries can be found at www.blc.org .A consortium card will allow you to check out books from any of these libraries. You can apply for the card at the Circulation Desk at Mugar Memorial Library or online at www.bu.edu/library/blccards/index.html

An electronic tutorial on searching subscription databases, including PsycInfo and Social Sciences Full-Text, has been developed by librarians at BU and can be found at www.bu.edu/showme
Other guides that may be useful are Research Process and Locating Full-Text Articles

Librarians are available at the reference desk at Mugar Memorial Library to help you with your research. You can also ask questions online or through a 24/7 live chat service at www.bu.edu/library/ask/index.html. If you would like more extensive help with your research, you can make an appointment for a research consultation with Meredith Kirkpatrick, the liaison between the library and the School of Social Work. She can be reached at 617-358-3956 and her e-mail is meredith@bu.edu.