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BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY LIBRARY UPDATE (BUL-UPDATE)
From the Library Director Twenty five years is cause for celebration. From its small beginnings in 1973 the University has grown to be one of the best serving the need for higher education for the young people of Palestine. At the same time, the University Library has grown and developed to become one of the leading academic libraries in Palestine. In order to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Bethlehem University we have prepared a special jubilee issue of the BUL Update. The history and accomplishments of the Library are described in these pages. Our mission is to serve the academic community and new ways are always being considered to improve our services. Through cooperative efforts between faculty and library staff the book collection is continuously growing and new periodicals are added. New resources in technology assist in delivering information to our faculty and students at a faster rate. A friendly and qualified staff, aided by a corps of generous student assistants, provide these services on a daily basis. We stand back and look at the past twenty five years with a sense of pride in all the accomplishments and decide that the Library must grow and develop in order to continue to serve the needs of all. We are "standing on tradition, reaching for the future." Br. Dominic Smith, FSC The Bethlehem University Library was established in 1973 in a room on the ground floor of the main building with a collection of 525 volumes and a staff of 2 persons. A new building, designed by architect Montana, was opened in the fall of 1977 and dedicated April 27, 1978. It was funded by generous benefactors, principally the Agency of Misereor, the Catholic Central Development Agency and the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher. The four-floor structure has a capacity of 100,000 volumes and seating for about 350. The Library serves the academic community of students, administration, faculty, staff, alumni and visiting researchers. The present collection consists of approximately 57,000 volumes, 550 periodical subscriptions, 4,000 titles of audio-visual materials and equipment, and microform materials. The Library is managed by a staff of 14 professional and support staff. The Library features an open stack which provides
quick and easy access. The changeover from the Dewey Decimal
Classification System to the Library of Congress System was completed in
1983. The collection of books, both reference and circulating, is
divided into Arabic books and English books with a small collection in
other languages, primarily French and Spanish. Each division has a
separate card catalog divided into Author/Title section and Subject
section. Both catalogs are now computerized. The mission of the Bethlehem University Library is
to serve the academic community of students, administration, faculty and
staff by providing materials, resources, services, and facilities to
meet curriculum related needs. The Library pursues this mission through
acquiring, organizing, and maintaining the requisite information
resources, equipment and materials in various formats, by providing
production of audiovisual materials and by creating an environment
conducive to learning. The Library makes its resources and services
available to visiting researchers and Bethlehem University graduates.
The Library serves as a vital component of the educational mission of
the University.
Divisions of the Library Arabic Technical Services Other Unique Sections of the Library The Audio Visual Center, established in 1980, has grown to become a special feature of the Library. Presently, it offers a wide range of audio-visual production and support services. The collection consists of non-book materials and equipment to support the instructional program. Most can be borrowed by faculty and students for use in the AV Center or on campus. The Center provides space and equipment for individual and large group viewing and/or listening through a variety of non-print formats. Special Collections - Palestiniana Division The Special Collections - Palestiniana Division was opened in 1990. It was an outgrowth of a broader Middle East collection dating from the early 1980s. Generous donations of Catholic Near East Welfare Association and Pontifical Mission to Palestine made this section of the Library a reality. The Division has been established to house various print and non-print materials that are characterized by certain criteria. The core collection comprises books in all fields of knowledge related to Palestine and Palestiniana affairs. The Library Administrative Team consists of the heads of the main sections of the Library: Director, Deputy Director (Periodical & Circulation librarian also), Head of Arabic Technical Services, Head of Audiovisual Center and Head of English Technical Services. The duties of the LAT are:
The growth of the Library collection depends basically upon input from the teaching staff. They recommend titles in their fields of specialty for purchase in order to maintain a well-balanced and broad collection.
Student Assistants and the B.U. Library Scholarship The Library staff is ably assisted by a group of student assistants. Approximately 30 students from the work-study grant program of the University perform a variety of essential tasks. This program offers a student a reduction in tuition for six hours of work per week for a semester. The Bethlehem University Library Scholarship was established in 1992. It rewards the two best student assistants each semester with an additional reduction in tuition fees. Fund raising activities and personal contributions provide the funds for this scholarship. The names of the Two Best Student Assistants since 1993 to the present: Iman Milhim & Mohammad Thawabtah
Fall 1993/94
The Library features the ordinary library services: circulation, reserve book shelf, reference, vertical file, book exhibitions, new books display, photocopying, bindery and alumni memberships.
The Library provides a variety of instructional guides to assist the student in using the available resources for research and study. Individual library staff members have prepared a series of PATHFINDERS, guides on specific subjects which serve as a model to help the student to do research on different subjects. The LIBRARY SKILLS SERIES is a collection of eight pamphlets containing detailed explanation in the proper use of the various divisions and resources of the Library. The STUDENT GUIDE to B.U. LIBRARY provides the student with a detailed outline of the policies and procedures necessary for daily operations. Staff members also offer orientation and instructional sessions to all students at the beginning of their first year . Individual instruction is basically extended by the Reference Librarian.
With the beginning of the Spring term 1997, the Internet service was made available to faculty and students. The OCLC First Search catalog can also be accessed via the Internet for periodical literature and other information. CD-Rom titles and equipment are recent additions to our technological services.
Automating the Library has been one of the major developmental projects. Extensive discussions resulted in an agreement to take the first step in 1992 to transfer the data of the card catalog to an electronic data base using a program locally prepared by the Computer Center of the University. This project was completed in 1995. A proposal to the European Union to fund an integrated library software system for acquisitions, cataloging and circulation has been submitted. At present we wait the implementation of the grant.
There are also the Library Skills Series and the Pathfinders mentioned earlier.
Membership in Related Organizations
To Our 1997/98 Benefactors & Donors with Appreciation & Gratitude For Their Continuous Support To The Library:
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