Background and Mission

LAU is home to four libraries, the Riyad Nassar Library (RNL) in Beirut Campus, the Joseph G. Jabbra Library (JGJL) and the Health Sciences Library (HSL) in Byblos Campus, and the New York Academic Center Library (NYAC) in New York Campus.  RNL was founded in 1934, JGJL was founded in 1987, HSL and NYAC Library were each founded in 2013. RNL has a space of 8,000 square meters, JGJL 6,540 square meters and HSL 800 square meters.

While the LAU Libraries are located on three separate campuses, they complement each other in a close-knit manner of cooperation and coordination.

The libraries’ mission is to support and enhance teaching, learning and research through providing high quality services and resources, anticipating and responding to emerging technologies and enriching the intellectual and cultural life of the LAU community.

The LAU Libraries maintain library affiliations with local, regional and international associations and organizations. These include the Lebanese Library Association (LLA) since 1995, the American Library Association (ALA) since 1985, the American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (AMICAL) since 2004, the Lebanese Academic Library Consortium (LALC) since 2002, the Lebanese Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Services consortium (LIDS) since 2007, and OCLC since 2008.

The libraries are serviced by 19 professional and 13 paraprofessional staffs. Currently, the libraries house 238 desktops, 35 laptops, and 13 iPads, electronic information classroom, conference rooms (with videoconferencing). Several group study rooms (GSRs), most of them equipped with LED TV, are available for collaborative study. There are currently 5 GSRs in RNL, 11 in JGJL, and 3 in HSL.

Collections

In line with the LAU Libraries’ mission, the collection covers material related to LAU’s curricula as well as to multicultural matters. It includes in addition to the traditional print book or journal, audiovisual materials, maps and a rich and unique collection of online resources be it journals or books, as well as several special collections such as:

• The Julinda Abu Nasr Women and Gender collection
• Children’s collection
• Audio/Visual collection
• Closed circulation collection
• Islamic art and architecture collection
• Practice teaching
• Jawdat Haidar collection

The collection encompasses a total of 397,160 printed volumes, 674,185 electronic books, 152,809 full text electronic journals, 174 online databases, 17,652 audiovisual materials, and 7,896 items held in the LAU repository (LAUR).

Services

All of the library units are dedicated not only to providing access to information, but also to assisting information seekers in developing successful strategies for finding and evaluating information for a full range of needs.

The LAU Libraries play a major role in information literacy. Three asynchronous information literacy modules were developed namely “Research Process”, “Copyright/Plagiarism and APA Style”, and “Information Quality”. Where some modules were embedded in English classes, another module was provided to students enrolled in the online MBA program. Moreover, several information literacy sessions are scheduled at the beginning of each semester, aiming at introducing basic and advanced searching skills. Research consultation is offered to the LAU community either face-to-face or online via WebEx.

WhatsApp and Online Chatting services are also provided, enabling instant virtual assistance. Research guides are developed, providing the LAU community with hands-on information to support their learning process.

The daily active “Inter-Campus Loan” service presents the LAU Libraries to their clientele as one entity concerned with catering for their needs in compliance with the mission of the university. “Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Service” (ILL/DDS) is provided free of charge to current students, faculty, and staff. Lockers rental service is also available to students in each library.