The Boston Library Consortium (BLC) is pleased to announce that the Boston Architectural College (BAC) has joined as its newest member, becoming part of a coalition of libraries in the northeastern United States united by a commitment to sharing knowledge, infrastructure, and resources at scale.
As a member, the BAC enters a diverse and collaborative network of library professionals working together to advance shared goals through collective action and shared leadership. The BAC will participate in BLC's innovative resource sharing programs and values-based licensing and content initiatives–efforts grounded in expanding access, strengthening shared infrastructure, and advancing collective impact across member institutions.
BLC's robust professional development ecosystem will be available to the BAC’s librarians and library workers, including curated webinars and workshops, leadership development programs, and BLC Forum—our annual membership meeting that brings the community together to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas. The BAC staff will also be able to engage in BLC's vibrant membership Communities, which create opportunities to share expertise, build relationships, and contribute to member-driven initiatives across the consortium.
Finally, the BAC will join the BLC Network Zone, strengthening the consortium’s shared library infrastructure through greater scale, shared investment, and the integration of distinctive collections into a common discovery environment. Participation in the Network Zone will expand BAC users’ access to online and physical resources beyond the college’s core collections, while allowing the BAC Library to focus its collection development efforts on key areas of institutional strength. At the same time, the BAC’s deep and carefully curated holdings in architecture, landscape architecture, the built environment, and design will become discoverable to users throughout the Network Zone. The BAC will also benefit from coordinated consortial initiatives, including the transition to a next-generation discovery environment, without having to undertake such major system changes independently.
“At a time when institutions of higher education must balance financial stewardship with expanding access and innovation, consortial collaboration is essential” said Dr. Kellie Bean, Provost at The Boston Architectural College. “We are eager to contribute our specialized strengths while learning from and collaborating with peer institutions across the region.”
The Boston Architectural College and the Boston Architectural College Libraries
The Boston Architectural College was established as The Boston Architectural Club in 1889 by a group of both young and established local architects. According to its original charter, the founders created the Club "for the purpose of associating those interested in the profession of architecture with a view to mutual encouragement and help in studies." The Club was envisioned as a broad community not just for architects but also sculptors, painters, decorative artists, and patrons of the arts.
Today, the BAC boasts a large, curated digital image collection on architecture, landscape architecture, design, and the built environment as well as an intact, static collection of rare books representing the Beaux-Arts curriculum and school of thought that was being taught at the college and throughout the world in the 19th and early 20th century. These collections can be found in BAC’s Memorial Library. Items of note in the collection include:
- Large scale survey of the Hagia Sophia.
- Whole collection of plates from Georges Remon's Interieurs Modernes.
- Twelve volumes of Piranesi's etchings, including his much loved Carceri d'invenzione.
- Image scrapbooks of various travelling BAC members that depict European architecture before WWII.
The BAC's Shaw and Stone Library is uniquely curated to support the study of not only architecture, but the intricate intersections between architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, historic preservation of buildings, engineering, site planning, and real estate. This includes an array of print periodicals that are no longer in production, unavailable online, or have gaps in their coverage in online databases. Perhaps the most unique and notable part of the BAC's collection is its link to the growth of Boston over the past 130+ years. The library's local materials are robust and include collected maps, plans, proposals, images, and news reports of major and minor developments both in the city and its surroundings.
“In my 30-plus years as a librarian practicing in the New England area, I have acquired intimate knowledge of the BLC and the services, resources, and opportunities it provides its membership,” said Regina Raboin, Interim Director at The Boston Architectural College Library. “I know that the BAC Library and BLC share common values and vision that would make for a productive and innovative partnership.”
“The BAC is a mission-aligned institution with a deeply engaged library team and an extraordinary scholarly collection–especially in architecture, design, landscape architecture, and Boston’s built environment,” said Charlie Barlow, Executive Director at BLC. “The BAC will be a strong addition to the Network Zone and will meaningfully strengthen BLC’s resource sharing ecosystem. We’re excited about what we’ll accomplish together.”
About the Boston Library Consortium
Boston Library Consortium empowers a coalition of libraries in the northeastern United States to share knowledge, infrastructure, and resources at scale.
Founded in 1970, BLC’s strength lies in its diverse membership network of public and private universities, liberal arts colleges, state libraries, public libraries, and special libraries united by a commitment to champion innovation through collaboration. For more information, visit blc.org.
About the Boston Architectural College
Founded in 1889, the Boston Architectural College (BAC) is a leading institution in spatial design built on the belief that talent and passion—not pedigree—should define access to design education. The BAC offers more than 20 degree and certificate programs across architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, and design studies, along with continuing education and pre-college programs. A federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, the BAC serves a diverse global community representing over 54 countries and is committed to accessibility through flexible onsite and online learning. Rooted in Boston, the BAC’s impact extends across the globe. Its curriculum integrates academic study with professional experience, preparing students to graduate with both a degree and a career. Consistently ranked among the top architecture schools in the U.S., the BAC advances its mission to diversify the design profession and shape a more equitable, sustainable world.