Visiting the Library

To set up your Boston Theological Institute (BTI) Visitor account with us, please visit the library Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm. Make sure you have “opted-in” to borrowing from other BTI Libraries through the BTI Portal. Bring your student ID from the BTI institution you attend. We will have you fill out a short application for borrowing privileges. You are responsible for providing accurate contact information in addition to showing the required identification, and will be expected to follow all BU School of Theology Library policies. BTI visitors can borrow items for 28 days!

Cross-registered students: Please let us know if you are a BTI student currently registered for a BU class. If so, you may already have a student record in our system with a longer loan period (133 days, or the expiration date  determined by your registration, whichever comes sooner.)

Boston Library Consortium patrons looking to register for borrowing privileges at Boston University must present their card and identification from their home institution at Mugar Memorial Library (771 Commonwealth Ave., not far from the School of Theology Library). Once registered, patrons can check out material from any Boston University Library for 28 days, subject to recall. More information on registration for Boston Library Consortium patrons can be found on Mugar Library’s website. Note that BC, Northeastern, and Brandeis visitors do not need to register; simply use your institution’s ID to borrow items!

The Boston University School of Theology Library is proud to be a participating member of the American Theological Library Association’s Atla Reciprocal Borrowing Program. If you are a currently registered student at another participating institution’s library, you can register for borrowing privileges here at the School of Theology Library. If you are a distance student studying at another participating institution, but in the Boston-area, don’t miss out on taking advantage of this program.

To register for borrowing privileges here at the School of Theology Library under the Atla Reciprocal Borrowing Program, you must present a photo ID, our application for borrowing privileges, and proof of current registration at a participating institution (letter of introduction, class schedule, logging into your institution’s LMS, etc.) between 7:45am-4:00pm. We reserve the right to contact that institution’s home library to confirm good standing. When you apply, you agree to all of BU School of Theology Library’s borrowing policies. All circulating materials within our library can be loaned for 28 days under that Atla Reciprocal Borrowing Program. If items are eligible to be renewed, you can do it in-person at our circulation desk, emailing sthref@bu.edu or by calling the library’s main number at (617) 353-3034.

Our library staff receives information from the Dean’s office about future visiting researchers prior to their visits and, in most cases creates their patron record in advance. However, on their first visit we do ask visiting researchers to present a photo ID, a copy of their invitation from the  office of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and their local address during the visit.

Local clergy in the New England area are eligible for borrowing privileges and 4 week loan periods. To register, you must present a photo ID, our application for borrowing privileges, and contact information for the local congregation (church, synagogue, mosque, chaplaincy appointment, etc.) that you serve.