BLC Card Policies

Boston Library Consortium Cards

Introduction

Boston University is a member of the Boston Library Consortium (BLC). Founded in 1970, the Boston Library Consortium is a cooperative association of academic libraries. It exists to support resource sharing and the enhancement of services for each member library’s patrons. A Consortium Card allows the holder to check out materials at the other Boston Library Consortium libraries.

Consortium Card Program

The Consortium Card program extends borrowing privileges at Consortium members’ libraries to faculty, students and staff from participating academic institutions. Boston University faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduate students in good standing (owing under $10.00 to Boston University libraries) may obtain a Boston Library Consortium card by filling out an on line application at BLC Borrowing, but must pick up their BLC Consortium Cards at the Mugar Memorial Library Circulation Desk. Please be sure to bring your BU ID when picking up the Consortium Card. Your Consortium Card will be available three business days after the application form is submitted to the Mugar Memorial Library Circulation desk. Card holders must validate their cards at regular intervals, usually once each semester and re-apply once a year at the beginning of the academic year.

Privileges and Special Qualifications

The Consortium Card is an identification card that permits access to BLC libraries. Although most BLC members are flexible, the Consortium Card does not automatically confer borrowing privileges. Libraries occasionally require a screening interview or block admission during particularly busy study times during the academic year. If you are planning to go to any of the BLC libraries, contact them ahead of time to inquire about their access policies and procedures.

You may return borrowed materials to any Consortium member library, but you will be responsible for any overdue charges at the home institution. Materials borrowed from Consortium libraries can be returned to Mugar Memorial Library. Consortium card holders must observe each library’s circulation regulations, including the payment of charges for overdue and lost materials. Failure to do so will result in the loss of borrowing privileges at all Consortium libraries. (Once charges have reached the point of home library notification by the lending library, a block will be placed on the patron record at the home library. Privileges will remain blocked until notification has been received that the charges have been paid to the lending library.)

WorldCat Book and Journal Holdings

WorldCat is the OCLC Online Union Catalog. It contains more than 43 million records describing items owned by Boston area libraries and libraries around the world. WorldCat contains records for the following types of materials: books*, journals*, musical scores, computer data files, magazines*, newspapers*, computer programs, manuscripts, sound recordings, films and slides, maps, videotapes. (*Does not include individual articles, stories in journals, magazines, newspapers, or book chapters.)

The BLC WorldCat provides a single interface from which users can search for books that are owned by any of the participating BLC libraries. Boston University students, faculty and staff may also use the WorldCat to place requests to borrow books from other BLC institutions.

For more information about the Boston Library Consortium, contact the Mugar Memorial Library Circulation Desk at 617-353-3732 or mugcirc@bu.edu