If you’re worried about the W. L. Lyons Brown Library being a boring, cold space where you’re at risk of being shushed for asking questions or working with your friends – think again.
Bellarmine has designed a welcoming, collaborative space for students, faculty, and alumni to read, research, and produce amazing work. With tens of study rooms to rent out, nearly half a million resources to borrow, and plenty of smiling faces waiting to greet you and answer your research questions, Bellarmine’s library defies stereotypes and serves its students with love.
Bellarmine Communication major Savannah Gripshover shares seven fun facts about Bellarmine’s Library.
1. The library has a 24-hour study room available to students daily.
Are you stressed about an upcoming project? Are you looking to escape from the crowds and focus on your work? Do you just need a space to breathe, chill, and study? There’s a place designed for just that – and you have access to it every hour of the day, every day of the week. Intended to be a cozy, reliable space for students, the 24-hour study room features several computers that are free to use, comfortable desks and seating arrangements, and a coffee maker and vending machine to keep you fueled for your next productive study session.
2. The library has tens of spaces designed for students to work and collaborate.
Whether you’re looking for a silent space or an expressive space, Bellarmine’s library has a room for you. On Levels 1 and A, eight study rooms await for students to work together, practice presentations, and craft their final projects. On Level 2, a large “silent study space” welcomes students to fill whiteboards with notes, crack open textbooks, or type out an essay. Each study space can be rented for up to three hours or claimed whenever open! Most spaces include a desktop computer, a spacious desk, and several seats to choose from.
3. The library provides free access to over THOUSANDS of resources.
Inside the library, it’s easy to spot the hundreds of bookshelves lining the walls. Each one contains worlds of fiction, essays, poetry, autobiographies, textbooks, and more – 85,000 printed works, to be exact. But there’s more to the library than just what you can spot with your eye. By visiting the library’s website, you can expand your search to over 100 online databases! The library’s impressive online collection contains over 40,000 newspapers, journals, magazines, and over 400,000 eBooks.
4. You can always receive help from a librarian.
The Bellarmine Library is devoted to providing round-the-clock assistance to students, faculty members, and alumni. If you have a quick question, you can utilize the Ask a Librarian online chat feature, which provides answers in less than twenty-four hours – usually, a lot less! If you plan on embarking on a lengthy project, you can schedule an individual research consultation. These meetings can help you select topics to study, recommend readings to pull quotes and data from and answer any questions you might have about the research process. The reference desk has responded to over 3,300 questions in the past year – there’s nothing they can’t handle!
5. The library can loan books and articles from other libraries!
If you’ve been waiting for your favorite book’s sequel to release, don’t worry about waiting any longer. The Bellarmine Library’s connection with dozens of other local libraries allows them to request interlibrary loans. In just one year, we’ve processed nearly 3,000 interlibrary loans, giving students access to additional materials they may need to further their research or enhance their enjoyment.
6. The library partners with SGA to secure access to bonus material!
The Student Government Association works with the library to ensure students have access to the latest resources – whether that be for education or entertainment! Through SGA, the library links students with the Louisville Courier-Journal and the New York Times. Students can log into these platforms using their Bellarmine information and read a variety of articles, listen to podcasts and news recordings, and play a wide array of games. Additionally, SGA support enables the library to provide newly released DVDs and digital film downloads to its students, faculty, and alumni.
7. You can keep using Bellarmine’s library long after you graduate!
Here at Bellarmine, we believe access to knowledge and community don’t have an expiration date. We pride ourselves on providing services to students, whether they’re just beginning their first year at Bellarmine or years deep into an established career. Alumni are welcome to return to Bellarmine to borrow books, schedule research consultations with our librarians, or utilize our study spaces to complete their work.
If you want to enjoy the library’s services or spend a few hours in a productive space, you can visit between 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Weekend hours are as follows: Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Do you have any extra questions? Try the Ask a Librarian feature here!