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 17 paraprofessional staffs. Currently, the libraries house 252 desktops, 50 laptops and 15 tablets, in addition to electronic information classrooms, conference rooms with videoconferencing capabilities, and computer workstations that support the academic and research needs of the LAU community. Printing, scanning, and photocopying services are also available to library users. Several group study rooms (GSRs), most of them equipped with LED TVs, are available for collaborative study. There are currently 5 GSRs in RNL, 10 in JGJL, and 3 in HSL.

Collections

In alignment with the mission of the LAU Libraries, the collections are developed to support the university’s academic curricula, research priorities, and commitment to multiculturalism and intellectual diversity. The collections include traditional print resources, in addition to audiovisual materials, maps, and a rich and distinctive array of electronic resources, including online journals, electronic books, and specialized databases.

The libraries also maintain a number of Themed Collections, including:

Audio/Visual Collection
Children’s Collection
Closed Circulation Collection
Islamic Art and Architecture Collection
Jawdat Haidar Collection
Julinda Abu Nasr Women and Gender Collection
Lebanese Collection
Practice Teaching Collection

In addition to the Themed Collections, LAU Libraries preserve and provide access to unique archival and special collections of historical, cultural, and institutional significance, including:

The LAU Libraries’ collections currently encompass approximately 417,614 printed volumes, 817,659 electronic books, 183,124 full-text electronic journals, 197 online databases, 18,358 audiovisual materials, and 9,611 items archived in the Lebanese American University Repository (LAUR).

Services

The LAU Library is committed not only to providing access to information, but also to helping users develop the skills they need to find, evaluate, and use information effectively for a wide range of academic and research purposes.

The library plays an important role in strengthening research skills across the university. As part of this effort, three asynchronous information literacy modules have been developed: “Research Process,” “Copyright/Plagiarism and APA Style,” and “Information Quality.” Some of these modules are integrated into English and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) courses, while others are offered to students in the online MBA program.

Traditional reference support continues to be a core part of library services. Users can seek assistance through in-person and online consultations, as well as real-time support via WhatsApp and live chat. In addition, the library provides comprehensive research guides that offer practical, hands-on support tailored to the needs of the LAU community.

At the same time, the library’s role in the research lifecycle has grown more active and structured, serving as a partner that supports researchers throughout their work. Services now include workshops and one-on-one consultations on a variety of scholarly communication topics. Each semester, the library offers research-focused information literacy sessions covering both basic and advanced search techniques. Targeted sessions for faculty and graduate students address topics such as identifying reputable journals, exploring open access publishing, managing researcher profiles, navigating copyright and licensing, and enhancing research visibility and impact.

Librarians are also increasingly involved in research itself. Reference and Information Literacy Librarians contribute as co-authors on systematic reviews or serve as dedicated research consultants, reflecting both their expertise and their collaborative role in supporting the university’s scholarly output.

The daily Inter-Campus Loan service highlights the libraries’ commitment to operating as one unified system serving all users. Additionally, the Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services (ILL/DDS) are provided free of charge to current students, faculty, and staff. Each library also offers locker rental services for students.

The LAU Libraries also provide access to the Creative Space, an innovative facility designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and experiential learning among students, faculty, and staff. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and tools, the Creative Space supports interdisciplinary exploration and hands-on project development across a wide range of fields. The space currently includes 7 high-end desktop computers with GPUs for computationally intensive tasks, 3 laptops, 2 3D printers, 1 3D scanner, 1 sewing machine, and 1 embroidery machine. In addition, users have access to a comprehensive software suite supporting 3D design, machine learning, artificial intelligence, coding, data analysis, and visualization, as well as virtual and augmented reality equipment. The Creative Space provides the LAU community with an environment that encourages innovation, experimentation, and the transformation of ideas into tangible outcomes.