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

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

BLC Members in the News: UMass Amherst Acquires Daniel Ellsberg's Papers

The University of Massachusetts Amherst announced the recent acquisition of the papers of whistleblower and political activist Daniel Ellsberg. In a press release on the University's website, Dean of Libraries Simon Neame observed, "Throughout his...

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BLC Strategic Directions, Code of Conduct and Core Values

Following discussions at the June meeting of the BLC Board of Directors, the Board approved a formal Code of Conduct for the BLC. This follows affirmation of the Core Values of the BLC, which in...

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Member Events

December 09, 2019 to February 28, 2020

Meeting

BLC Media COI Winter In-Person Meeting

The BLC Media COI's meeting will take place on Friday, February 28th, 2020 at Northeastern University's Snell Library, room 269A. A virtual option will also be available.

The meeting is set for 10am-1:00pm. The first hour will focus on the working groups preparing the Resource Sharing and Streaming Media: Survey of the Landscape webinar, and the COI poster for the 50th Anniversary celebration. The formal COI meeting will begin at 11:00am.

COI members are encouraged to attend from 10:00am if interested in participating in any of the working groups. Parking and other details are forthcoming.

February 03, 2020

Training

BLC Workshop: Library Staff Training on Mental Health

Library Staff Training on Mental Health: How Staff Can Better Serve Challenging Patrons and Their Behaviors

Academic libraries are more than the books they house, they are the combination of the collections they steward, the services they offer, and the spaces where they make their patrons feel comfortable.

As staff in libraries serving primarily students and faculty, it is important to have an understanding of the ways in which patrons can experience a variety of mental health challenges, and how library staff can handle these patrons in a caring and professional manner.

Students in particular can experience a range of issues, stemming from the pressures of a new environment, increased expectations, and lack of a support network. As a result, they may become depressed or self-harming, anxious, disruptive, and have other issues that can be distracting, scary and troublesome to staff and other patrons.

This workshop will:

Provide a better understanding of the range of mental health issues presented by patrons that might affect a library setting;
Identify clear ways to take action in a variety of scenarios to keep all patrons and staff safe; and
Bring library staff together to share the training experience and support one another.

This training is fun, will give participants specific language to use and new approaches to implement, will give participants information about mental health which will be useful to them personally, and is interactive and empowering. Presenter Jon Mattleman has over three decades of work in public service, facilitates 75+ trainings a year for library staff, parents, and professionals, and gives people tools they can use immediately. Learn more about Jon at www.jonmattleman.com

Workshop Logistics:

The BLC is pleased to bring this workshop to our member libraries on Monday, February 3rd from 10:00am-12:00pm. Registration will close on Thursday, January 30th.

Capacity: This workshop is limited to 40 participants. We encourage libraries who wish to send multiple participants to limit to 2-3.
Participants are encouraged (not required) to submit examples of issues faced at their institutions. These examples will be anonymized and used during the workshop.
Coffee and lunch will be provided
Directions: Attendees are encouraged to take public transit or carpool to the workshop, as there may be limited parking available near Boston College's Theology and Ministry Library (TML). The TML is on the Green Line. There may be limited parking available in the parking garages located in Boston College's Newton Campus, a short walk to the TML. For more directions, please visit https://libguides.bc.edu/tml/visit
There will not be a remote option for this workshop.
Please contact Mei Mendez (mmendez@blc.org) with any questions.

February 12, 2020

Meeting

BLC Health Sciences COI Meeting -- Virtual Meeting

The Health Sciences COI has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, February 12th, from 1:00pm-2:00pm. The agenda and meeting details will be shared on the COI's list-serv.

February 13, 2020

Webinar

Tips for Implementing a Library Mentoring Program, a BLC Expanding Knowledge Webinar

Tips for Implementing a Library Mentoring Program

A library mentoring program can contribute to staff success by providing onboarding support and building relationships. This webinar will cover the essential needs to consider when creating a mentoring program, and offer practical recommendations on how to start building a mentoring program in your library.

Learning outcomes:

Participants will be able to
Articulate the benefits of a library mentoring program
Understand the basic needs for administering a library mentoring program
Decide on the next steps for their institutions

Presenter bio:

Laura Evans (levans@amherst.edu) is the Head of Cataloging/Metadata at Amherst College. Previously, she was the Assistant Head of Cataloging at Binghamton University, where she participated in the library’s mentoring program as both a mentor and a mentee. She is also a member of the ALCTS Mentoring Program Subcommittee, and is the author of the article Supervisors as Mentors, published in College and Research Library News in July/August 2019.

February 19, 2020

Meeting

BLC Heads of Resource Management Committee Meeting

The Heads of Resource Management Committee is scheduled to meeto on Wednesday, February 19th from 10:00am-12:00pm. Location details and the agenda will be made available closer to the meeting.

Library Staff Training on Mental Health: How Staff Can Better Serve Challenging Patrons and Their Behaviors

Workshop Logistics: