For Alumni
BU Libraries welcomes graduates of the University to make use of the following resources.
Visiting BU Libraries Branches
BU alumni may visit Libraries branches by checking in with a photo ID and their alumni card at the front desk upon arrival. Learn more about the BU Libraries’ Visitor Policy.
Borrowing Materials
Alumni may request books and other circulating materials.
If you need an alumni card, you can obtain one here. If you have an active alumni card, follow these steps:
- For first-time borrowers, User Services staff will need to update your library account. Visit us in person or reach out via email at ask@bu.edu to get started.
- Request BU Libraries 2 Go items by emailing the following details to ask@bu.edu: Title, Author, and your BU username/email address. If possible, please include the item record permalink from BU Libraries Search.
- You will receive an email notification when items are available for pickup.
Access to Online Databases
If you graduated prior to or in 2011, and don’t have an @bu.edu account, you will need to create a new account here. For more information on alumni benefits, visit the BU Alumni & Friends website for further assistance. If you graduated after 2011, use your BU Login username and password.
Online Databases Available to Alumni
The BU Libraries provide alumni access to the following databases:
Free Online Resources
The following resources are free and available for anyone to use:
- OpenBU: OpenBU is BU’s open access institutional repository. It contains documents and publications authored or co-authored by BU faculty, students, and staff.
- Directory of Open Access Journals: Access to the full text of thousands of journals covering the humanities, social sciences, and sciences and also provides access to indexes in these subject areas, including dissertations and theses.
- HathiTrust: HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
- MedlinePlus (Medicine): Produced by the National Library of Medicine, MedLinePlus provides information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues including links to medical research on a topic.
- PubMed (via the National Library of Medicine): Note: Guest access to articles from BU’s subscription e-journals is NOT available through PubMed.
- ERIC: ERIC is a comprehensive, easy-to-use, searchable, Internet-based bibliographic and full-text database of education research and information. It is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences within the U.S. Department of Education.
- National Agricultural Library: The National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of five national libraries of the United States. It houses one of the world’s largest collections devoted to agriculture and its related sciences.
- WorldCat: WorldCat is the world’s largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
- Boston Public Library (BPL) online resources are available to Massachusetts residents. The BPL offers a virtual library card (eCard) that allows users immediate remote access to all BPL electronic resources, including magazine databases and downloadable audio, video, and music files. For more information, please visit BPL’s eCards page.