Boğaziçi University Library

Boğaziçi University Library, with its complementary collections since 1863, is an academic capacity with 878,481 works and 1 million electronic publications, with a seating capacity of 512 people in a closed area of ??more than 3000 m², operating according to an open and closed shelving system.

An average of 2500 people enter the library daily;  205 books are given. The library, which includes nearly 160 databases and various e-resources in its collection, provides research opportunities independent of time and place.

All electronic resources subscribed to by the library can be accessed anytime, anywhere with OpenAthens. Transactions such as extending the book period and reserving books can be done by users via the web page.

Printed and electronic storage collections are developed every year according to budget and needs.

Library Collections:

General Collection: Books mainly in English, but also in Turkish, German, French and other foreign languages ??are available in this section.  The basic books in this section are on the subjects of education, psychology, sociology, politics, economics, art, philosophy, religion, history, literature, astronomy, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and engineering. The collection is organized according to the Library of Congress Classification System (LCC). All resources in the general collection can be borrowed. While Turkish Literature books starting with the subject number PL 248 are on the open shelf, all General Collection resources are in storage due to library renovations.

Near East Collection: It is a special collection containing resources related to the Republic of Turkey, the Ottoman Empire and Near Eastern civilizations. The collection also includes various books on Hittite, Byzantine, Urartian and Armenian history, art, literature, sociology and Islam. The Near East Collection is located in storage. All sources, except some special editions, can be borrowed.

Rare Works and Historical Archives Collection: Boğaziçi University Library rare works collection includes approximately 30 thousand works of different types from the 16th century to the 20th century. The collection is based on the Robert College library. Cyrus Hamlin, the founder and first director of Robert College, mentions in his memoirs that Harvard University Law School donated 200 valuable books on the occasion of the establishment of the College. These donations and other books collected at that time were the first works that formed the basis of the Robert College library. The library collection enriched over time and became one of the important libraries of the period.

When Robert College was transferred to the Turkish Government in 1971, the library collection and rare works were taken over together. The collection has continued to enrich with new donations since the establishment of Boğaziçi University.

The historical archives collection includes the personal archives of Adalet Ağaoğlu, Aptullah Kuran, Aziz Ogan, İsmayil Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, Jale İnan, Scott Family and Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, as well as the digital archives of Robert College and American College for Girls. Its rich content contains materials that will shed light on the history of the late Ottoman and modern Turkey on subjects such as history, architecture, archaeology, foreign policy, culture, art and literature.

Electronic Resources Collection: There are types of e-resources, e-magazines, e-books, music, video and newspaper databases. BU Library users can access more than 105,000 e-journals, more than 1 million e-books, more than 150 databases and a rich e-resource collection from on or off campus at any time of the day.

Printed Magazines Collection: Printed magazines in the reader's lounge are used only within the library.

Reference Sources Collection: The Reference Collection includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, biographies, legislation, maps, master's and doctoral theses made at Boğaziçi University, research reports, Turkish and British standards and other reference sources. Reference sources are not allowed to be taken out of the library.

Reserve Collection: The collection is created from printed and electronic resources determined by the instructors according to the course contents. Printed resources can be borrowed for a maximum of 2 hours and used in the library, while e-resources can be accessed uninterruptedly from anywhere there is internet.

Audiovisual Collection: The collection consists of records from the Robert College period, cassettes and CD recordings of current music, and cassettes and DVDs of classic and popular films. In the section located on the North Campus ETA-B-Ground Floor, 25 people can listen to music on 5 channels at the same time. Advance reservations are required to watch movies.

Library Working Hours: OPEN 24/7 (Excluding Public and Midterm Holidays)

Study Rooms: 24/7 (Excluding Public Holidays)

For detailed information, visit the library web page: https://library.bogazici.edu.tr/en