Mugar Library open 24 hours a day for study period and finals week

Mugar Memorial Library will be open 24 hours beginning Thursday, April 30, at 7 am until Friday, May 8, at 5 pm to provide all students study space that fits their schedules during the University’s study period and final exams. All other BU Libraries branches will be open during their regularly scheduled hours during this time.

The BU Libraries will also provide a late-night campus shuttle for students from midnight to 6 am each day during its 24-hour service schedule. The shuttle will depart from Mugar Memorial Library every 30 minutes, following this route:

1. Mugar Library – 771 Commonwealth Ave.
2. Hyatt Regency Hotel – 575 Memorial Dr., Cambridge
3. StuVi 1 – 10 Buick Street
4. StuVi 2 – 33 Harry Agganis Way
5. Rich Hall – 277 Babcock Street
6. 1019 Comm Ave
7. South Campus – Park Dr. & Beacon St.
8. Fenway Campus – 255 Brookline Ave.
9. Danielsen Hall – 512 Beacon St.
10. 610 Beacon Street & Kilachand Hall – Bay State Road & Raleigh St.
11. The Towers – Bay State Road & Silber Way
12. Warren Towers- Commonwealth Ave. & Granby St.

Students must show a BU ID to use the shuttle.

Register today: Libraries Symposium Examines Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Spy Case

Archives and Accountability: Revisiting Justice in the Rosenberg Case
Thursday, Apirl 16, from 12-6:30 pm
Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
Free Registration

Seventy-two years ago, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed by the United States government on charges of conspiracy to commit espionage. For decades, without full access to records, many historians, legal scholars, citizens, and especially the Rosenbergs’ children and family, have believed the trial to be a miscarriage of justice. In 2024, archival documents released through a Freedom of Information Act request confirmed that “due to ill health, she [Ethel Rosenberg] did not engage in the work itself.” This revelation has supported the family’s belief that Ethel Rosenberg was not a spy, further suggesting that the case was more about persecuting dissent.

To coincide with the donation of these newly released NSA documents to the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center’s Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Collection, Boston University Libraries, in partnership with the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies, the Boston University School of Law Library and the Rosenberg Fund for Children, will host Archives and Accountability: Revisiting Justice in the Rosenberg Case at the Howard Thurman Center (808 Commonwealth Ave) from 12:00-6:30pm this Thursday, April 16.

This symposium on Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and their espionage trial explores their case through their archives in the Boston University Libraries. The event will include a screening of the documentary Heir to an Execution with a discussion featuring the Rosenbergs' family members, filmmaker Ivy Meeropol and Robert and Michael Meeropol. Following the screening, a moderated panel with Cold War historian Clay Risen, best-selling biographer Anne Sebba and FOIA attorney J. Wells Dixon will explore how this significant archival donation shapes, challenges, or confirms public perceptions of the Rosenberg trial.

Together, we will explore how access to information and archival materials can shape–and reshape–our understanding of history.

Register for the symposium here to join any portion.

Read more about the case in BU Today.

BU Libraries welcome Giordana Mecagni as Director of Special Collections and Archives

Giordana Mecagni joined the BU Libraries on March 30 as the Director of Special Collections and Archives, overseeing the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, University Archives, and the special collections held across the library. 

The special collections and archives of the BU Libraries extend from the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, which serves as the University’s central repository for personal papers of cultural figures from the 20th and 21st centuries, to rare books, the University’s archives, and the distinctive collections of the Music, Theology, and African Studies libraries. Together, these collections preserve cultural heritage, inspire original scholarship, and foster a deeper understanding of the world. 

“Boston University is fortunate to welcome Giordana Mecagni to this critical leadership role within the University Libraries,” said Jennifer King, Associate University Librarian for Special Collections & Academic Engagement. “Giordana is an accomplished, visionary, and pragmatic leader whose inclusive, determined approach will strengthen and complement the vital work of the Special Collections team.” 

As director, Mecagni will ensure students and researchers can easily discover and use these archival materials and will collaboratively engage the larger community in thoughtful exploration of history and current events through BU’s special collections. Under Mecagni’s leadership, the Gotlieb Center will expand research opportunities for scholars across the globe, deepen campus engagement with the archives, and invest in its growing instructional programs that introduce students primary source learning and spark convergent inquiry across disciplines. 

“I am thrilled to join the BU Libraries and the dedicated teams who steward BU’s cultural heritage collections and make them available for research,” said Mecagni. “The BU special collections are cherished by scholars around the world, and are available right here in the Mugar Library. They contain endless opportunities for scholarship, and my goal is to integrate un-googleable primary source research into all aspects of teaching and learning on campus.”  

Mecagni comes to BU from Northeastern University where she had served as Head of Archives & Special Collections since 2013 honing deep expertise in project and collection management, staff development and mentoring, fundraising, educational program development, and community engagement. She previously served as the Acquisitions Archivist and Archivist for Women in Medicine at the Center for the History of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Reference Assistant at the Schlesinger Library at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. She holds an MS, Archives Concentration from Simmons School for Library and Information Science and BA, Sociology and Women’s Studies for the University of New Hampshire. 

BU’s RefWorks subscription to end August 31

Boston University’s subscription to the reference manager RefWorks is ending on August 31, 2026, and users will no longer have access to the platform or their collected references after this date. To ensure users can access their references, the BU Libraries are offering support and guidance on exporting references and uploading them to another reference manager. To learn how to export references, download attachments, and upload them to the reference manager Zotero, users can follow the steps found in this guide.

Zotero is an open-source reference manager that easily captures bibliographic information from any web resource and enables quick in-text citation. All BU faculty, students, and staff can download and use Zotero for free. With Zotero, references are saved on your hard drive, and they can be the synced to an online account, so you can access your references from anywhere, and Zotero users continue to have access to the tool and their references, even if they leave BU.

BU Libraries staff are available to assist all RefWorks users during this transition. In addition to this guide, users can get help from a librarian by emailing ask@bu.edu or contacting librarian JD Kotula (jdkotula@bu.edu) if you need further assistance or have additional questions.

The BU Libraries strive to provide library users with the best access to the tools and supports they need to do their research. Beyond this transition, the BU Libraries will continue to provide expertise and support for reference managers, offering individual tutorials, periodic workshops, and guidance on its “Create Bibliographies” guide.

Your Job Search Starts at Pardee Library

Looking for a job or internship? Pardee Library has the tools and resources to help you hit the ground running. Our Career Research @ Pardee Library guide takes you from “Where do I start?” to “I’ve got this!” - quickly and confidently.

The guide helps you:

• Understand your industry - research trends, players, and opportunities before you apply.
• Target employers effectively  - use company directories to build a strategic list of potential employers.
• Sharpen your career skills - explore literature on career development, networking, pivots, and workplace diversity.
• Prepare for interviews - learn how to research companies so you can walk in ready.
• Find internships - resources tailored for students breaking into your field.

Stop by Pardee in person or email us at pardstf@bu.edu - we’re happy to help you make the most of what’s here.

Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek Selected as Inaugural Recipient of Nursing Archives Associates Archival Research Award

Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek

The Nursing Archives Associates (NAA) have selected Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, as the inaugural recipient of the NAA Archival Research Award.

The award supports historical research about nursing and health care, and encourages the use of the History of Nursing Archives housed in the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University Libraries for primary source research. Through this award, the NAA and BU Libraries seek to encourage innovative research through the archives and create accessible research opportunities. 

Dr. Wytenbroek plans to use this award to study Virginia Arnold’s role in developing nursing leadership in the Global South through the Virgina Arnold Collection. Arnold’s papers, donated to BU as part of the Nursing Archives, document Arnold’s work as the Assistant Director for Medical Education and Public Health for the Rockefeller Foundation. In this role, she developed the nursing education program at the University of Valle in Cali, Colombia, and the World Health Organization's regional center for nursing education at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.  

The NAA Research Award will enable Dr. Wytenbroek to gain insight into Arnold’s international nursing work and her influence on the expansion of the nursing profession in the Global South through Arnold’s own diaries, manuscripts, correspondence, and other primary sources. The BU Libraries are proud to host Dr. Wytenbroek, and work in partnership with the Nursing Archives Associates to provide greater support for scholars like Dr. Wytenbroek. 

​​The History of Nursing Archives includes more than two hundred collections from various nurses and nursing organizations, chronicling the history of the nursing profession from its beginnings to the present day. Learn more about the History of Nursing Archives.  

Please note that the 2026-2027 NAA Archival Research Award will be announced in Fall 2026 and we look forward to applications! 

Find the Data You Need at Pardee Library

Pardee Library connects you with real-world business data for your classes, projects, and research. Explore our databases to find company financials, industry and market reports, economic indicators, and policy data to support your analysis.

Start with these key resources:

• Business & Economic Data Sources – core business and economics databases
• Global Business Intelligence - company, industry, and country insights
• Financial Databases Overview - tools for company and market data
• Company Annual and Financial Reports - 10-Ks, annual reports, and more
• Economics - data on markets, countries, and indicators

Looking for even more? Browse our Business Databases: A-Z page to explore the full range of available resources.

Not sure where to start?
Email pardstf@bu.edu and we’ll help you find the best data sources for your topic or assignment.

School of Visual Arts partnership brings art to Mugar Library with painting exhibition and printmaking workshops

The BU Libraries are pleased to collaborate with the BU School of Visual Arts Painting program to integrate art into library spaces with a new exhibition of student work and workshop series inviting all students to make art and learn about the process of creation.  

Now on display on the first floor of Mugar Library, the exhibition, Painting Two at Boston University – Painting, Perception and Contemporary Figuration, presents examples of final paintings by BFA and BA Visual Art students in the Fall 2025 Painting II classes taught by Jill Grimes and Wilhelm Neusser, lecturers in BU School of Visual Arts.  

In Painting II, an intermediate oil painting course, students exercise the decision-making skills necessary to make paintings with both formal and conceptual integrity. Throughout the semester, students engaged with increasingly complex painting problems, culminating in open-ended prompts for final paintings that sum up the experience of the semester. Each student made an important multiple-session figure painting in class with variable approaches to the psychology and narrative elements of figure painting. The works on display include students’ independent final painting projects, many involving concepts around self-portraiture, expression, and identity; and sustained still life paintings created mid semester. Together, the pieces highlight the range of technical skill and self-exploration that students developed throughout the semester.   

Showcasing these works brings the range of advanced artistic practice and exploration of the program to the center of campus, increasing visibility of and engagement with BU’s arts programs. To deepen BU students’ knowledge of and experience with the arts, the BU Libraries is also hosting a series of printmaking workshops that will provide hands-on art education to everyone in the BU community. 

Led by students who have completed the Painting II course, the “Make Your Mark: Stamp Carving Workshops” will teach BU community members how to carve stamps out of linoleum blocks and use them to make prints. Participants will also learn from the painting students about the processes and principles that went into creating artworks on display in the library. 

The workshops, on the first floor of Mugar Library, in the student art exhibition area, will be held on:  

Sunday, March 22, 2:30-4:30 pm 

Wednesday, April 8, 2-4 pm 

Thursday, April 23, 5-7 pm 

All are welcome to drop into a workshop at any time.  

Unlock Industry Insights with Our Research Guide

Ready to dive into industry research? Whether you’re working on a class project, analyzing market trends, or exploring new sectors, our Industry Information Sources guide provides access to the best tools and data available. With essential databases like IBISWorld, Mintel, and more, you can find reliable, up-to-date information quickly and easily.

Designed to streamline your research, our guide directs you to trusted sources that save you time and effort. If you need help or have any questions, our friendly team is here for you. Contact us at pardstf@bu.edu for assistance, we’re happy to help!

Quick Guide to Business Research

Ready to start your research journey? Here are some resources to save you time and streamline your process:

Research Guides
Explore our expert-curated Research Guides for insights on key topics. Pardee Library offers Business Research Guides, Course Guides, and Research Tutorials, with recent additions on Global Business Intelligence and Generative AI Tools for Students.

Databases
Find the resources you need quickly by browsing our Business Databases A-Z page.

Journals and Newspapers
Stay informed with access to a wide range of journals and newspapers through BU Libraries Search, ensuring you have reliable sources at your fingertips. New York Times was recently added to our collection, offering digital access to NYTimes.com, including articles, multimedia content, and archives.

Need Help?
Our reference staff is here to assist you! Contact us at pardstf@bu.edu for personalized research support.