Boston Library Consortium

For Librarians

The Boston Library Consortium offers services to librarians at member libraries ranging from resource sharing and e-resource licensing to professional development and programming on issues of importance to academic and research libraries.

For Students, Scholars & Researchers

Those affiliated with the Full Member libraries of the Boston Library Consortium can take advantage of access to and borrowing of materials from these libraries.

Our Members

University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Connecticut
Northeastern University
Marine Biological Laboratory and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
University of Rhode Island
Tufts University
State Library of Massachusetts
Boston University
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of New Hampshire
Wesleyan University
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Wellesley College
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Bentley University
Boston College
Williams College
Brandeis University

Boston Library Consortium Appoints Charlie Barlow as Executive Director

Boston, June 11, 2020 —The Boston Library Consortium (BLC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Charlie Barlow as its next Executive Director, beginning July 1, 2020. Mr. Barlow will succeed Susan Stearns, who has...

Learn more

A Statement to the BLC Community

In keeping with our core values , the BLC is committed to fostering an organizational culture that acknowledges and works to change the systemic racism inherent in library spaces, collections, and technologies. As an organization,...

Learn more

Member Events

July 06, 2020

Webinar

Webinar: Do I need alt-text? A conversation about accessibility in academic libraries

How can academic libraries make their services and materials more accessible to everyone? Join Esther Brandon and Sarah Ferguson for a conversation on how to implement best practices for accessibility. The session will begin with a mini-lecture on the policies and practices from Brandeis University followed by a Question and Answer session. Please submit questions in advance about accessibility issues, policies, best practices, or guidelines. The remainder of the session will be an open conversation between presenters and participants, where you can share the successes or challenges you face at your academic library.

Send in your questions about accessibility via the webinar registration form.

Learning Objectives:

Identify concrete accessibility policies and practices to enact in your library
Learn about the accessibility concerns faced at other libraries
Participate in a conversation around successes and challenges

Agenda:

Presentation on accessibility practices and policies for academic libraries
Q&A for submitted questions about library accessibility
Participants share successes and challenges in a group conversation via chat

Bios:

Esther Brandon is the Digital Literacy Specialist for undergraduate and graduate programs at the Brandeis University Library. She is an enthusiastic seeker of new instructional technologies that is focused on best teaching practices. Esther has a B.A. in Anthropology and International & Global Studies and a Masters of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education for English Literature from Brandeis University. Before returning to higher ed, she taught in public schools K-12 focusing on using educational technology for instruction to support English Language Learners and students with moderate disabilities.

Sarah Elizabeth Ferguson is the Program Director for Digital Accessibility at Brandeis University with almost 20 years of experience in higher education. She completed her undergraduate work at Connecticut College and earned her Masters in education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a focus on special education technology. Ferguson is a linguaphile with a passion for painting, dogs, and the color purple.

August 05, 2020

Symposium

Science Librarianship in the Time of COVID-19: A Virtual Half-Day Conference

Since March 2020, science librarianship has rapidly evolved to meet changing needs as well as to comply with social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the challenges of working and adapting to the so-called “new normal” of the COVID-19 era? What are the hacks, methods, or activities that you have designed or created to meet the new needs of library patrons and users? What do you anticipate evolving in the future of academic librarianship? In particular, we are interested in how remote work has informed changes to reference services, pedagogy, outreach, and practice.

The BLC Engineering and Chemistry COIs invite proposals for 15 minute presentations that feature a developed idea or question OR for 5 minute lighting talks that address a brief topic or question.

Submit your 300 word of less proposal via the link below by Saturday, June 20th.

Submit a Proposal!

July 13, 2020

Meeting

BLC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion COI Meeting - Virtual

The BLC's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion COI will hold its first meeting on Monday, July 13th from 1:00pm to 2:30pm via Zoom. The agenda and login information will be shared via the COI's list-serv.

July 15, 2020

Webinar

Supporting OER on Your Campus in the COVID-19 Era

Supporting OER on Your Campus in the COVID-19 Era

With online education thrust into the limelight due to the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty are scrambling for resources to support remote learning this summer and fall. The crisis presents a golden opportunity to advocate for the use of open educational resources (OER) as an alternative to high-cost textbooks.

This webinar will provide information and resources for librarians and other campus support staff who wish to advocate for the adoption, adaption, and creation of Open Educational Resources on your campus. BLC is a consortial member of the Open Textbook Network. We will discuss the benefits of that membership and how OTN resources can help support your work. The presenter will also discuss successes and challenges on their campus.

The webinar will take place via GoToWebinar on Wednesday, July 15th from 10:00am-11:00am. The recording and slides will be made available via BLC.Announce, and the Member Events page.

Presenter:

Jeremy Smith is the Open Education and Research Services Librarian at the UMass Amherst Libraries. He is responsible for managing all library efforts around OER on campus and is involved with regional and national OER efforts. He is also the library liaison to the Journalism and Communication Departments.

July 15, 2020

Meeting

BLC Media COI Virtual Summer Meeting

The BLC's Media COI will hold a virtual summer meeting on Wednesday, July 15th at 2:30pm. The agenda and login information will be distributed via the COI's list-serv.