Brigham Young University
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3080 HBLL
Provo, UT 84602-6878
(801) 378-2905

University Librarian: Sterling J. Albrecht
Deputy University Librarian: Randy J. Olsen
Assistant University Librarian: Susan Fales
Assistant University Librarian: K. Paul Jordan
Assistant University Librarian: Larry J. Ostler

HOUSING over three million volumes, including an extensive collection of pamphlets, journals, current serials, newspapers, microform titles, and nonprint materials, the Harold B. Lee Library is a major resource for graduate student research. It is a depository for United States and Canadian government documents and regularly receives publications of state and local governments. Some of the library's strengths include special research collections in music in the areas of film, radio, viola, and harp. Notable collections have also been established in early modern European history, Renaissance Reformation history, American Church history, western Americana, Mormon Americana, nineteenth-century British literature, and the history of astronomy. Although many volumes of these collections are found in open stacks, most of the special collections are located on the fourth of the library's five levels. The Archives and Manuscripts Division is on the fifth level.

BYU participates in several cooperative programs that allow students and faculty to use materials housed in other state institutions and major research libraries throughout the United States:

  1. Interlibrary loan services (Doug Durbin, 3437 HBLL, Provo, UT 84602-6881, telephone (801) 378-6344) allow students to borrow books from other institutions. Photocopies of journal articles may be obtained for photocopying costs. A RUSH telefacsimile service is also available.
  2. Through the Utah College Library Council arrangements have been made that allow students with valid BYU ID cards to borrow materials from other college and university libraries in the state.
  3. The Research Libraries Group is a national consortium of major research libraries that work together to improve access to library resources necessary in scholarly research. The benefits of membership in this group include priority treatment of interlibrary loan requests from many major U.S. libraries (e.g., Yale, Princeton, Stanford, University of Michigan) and the availability of some materials that normally do not circulate. This group also sponsors a computerized shared-cataloging system that provides access to the computerized portion of the card catalogs of member libraries. Inquiries are handled at the reference desk on the main floor (level 3, (801) 378-2927).
  4. The Center for Research Libraries is an organization whose objective is to increase the availability of research materials to its more than 180 member institutions. Through this organization, many infrequently used materials are deposited in a common pool from which all members may borrow. BYU students may borrow from the center's collection of archives, dissertations, government documents, journals, monographs, and newspapers. Inquiries are handled at the Interlibrary Loan Office.
  5. BYU's Computer-Assisted Research Services, through access to more than 200 computerized databases, provide bibliographic references on a given topic. There is a charge for computer connect time, but not for consultation services. Inquiries are handled in 3230 HBLL, Provo, UT 84602-6800, telephone (801) 378-5627.

The library also provides a number of special services for graduate students. For example, some study carrels are available by assignment to graduate students (doctoral students have priority), and graduate students may check out circulating books for eight weeks rather than two (the undergraduate limit). Furthermore, research personnel in the library, in addition to reference desk staff, will work individually and in depth with graduate students on their research projects and theses.

The facilities of other libraries operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are also available to Brigham Young University students. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City contains approximately 100,000 books and more than 800,000 rolls of microfilm. A regional family history library, operating under the general direction of the Church Family History Department, is located on the fourth level of the Harold B. Lee Library. The library of the Church Historical Department is also available by arrangement to advanced students for research. This facility is in the LDS Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.


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Please report any errors. Updated May 20, 1997, by web_grad_cat@byu.edu