Libraries
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 LAU New York Library 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 21 professional and 11 paraprofessional staffs. Currently, the libraries house 257 desktops, 91 laptops, 11 iPads, and 2 Kindle, 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, 10 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:
- Audio/Visual collection
- Children’s collection
- Closed circulation collection
- Georgette Gebara Digital Archives
- Islamic art and architecture collection
- Jawdat Haidar collection
- Julinda Abu Nasr Women and Gender collection
- Lebanese collection
- Practice teaching collection
- Rami El Khal Poster collection
The collection encompasses a total of 419,147 printed volumes, 744,279 electronic books, 168,208 full text electronic journals, 185 online databases, 18,229 audiovisual materials, and 8,954 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 fostering research skills. To this end, 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.
In addition, the libraries are actively engaged in providing research services for the LAU students faculty, and staff. Each semester, a series of research-focused information literacy sessions are offered to introduce basic and advanced search strategies. Dedicated scholarly communication sessions are also provided for faculty and graduate students, covering key aspects of the research and publishing lifecycle.
The LAU Libraries continue to provide traditional reference support to the community through in-person and online consultations, real-time assistance via WhatsApp and online chat services, as well as research guides offering practical, hands-on information to support the learning and research needs of the LAU community.
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.