The Riyad Nassar Library (Beirut campus) is part of the Learning Resources Center along with the Audio/Visual Center.
The University’s first library was established in 1934 when it moved permanently to its current campus in Ras Beirut. At the time, the institution was known as American Junior College for Women. As part of many efforts to provide reliable services to the college community, thousands of materials were added to its library collection.
As the college grew, the library’s location in Sage Hall’s third floor quickly turned inadequate. The need for more space was met through the construction of an entire upper story in Irwin Hall in the 1960s, which was named in honor of Dr. William Stoltzfus, president of the college 1937–1958.
In the 1990s, the demands of growing academic programs called for expansion again. In 1997 the library moved to more spacious premises in the Learning Resources Center building.
The library moved again in the Summer of 2005 to its final destination, i.e., the Riyad Nassar Library. It has over 224,000 information records. There are 960 current periodical subscriptions and four special collections:
With the Audio/Visual Center, the Library coordinates equipment loans and services for instructional support. In coordination with the Mimeographing Office, the Library also provides photoduplication services for faculty and staff, in full compliance with copyright laws.
Orientation, individual instruction, training sessions and research assistance are available to library users throughout the year. All of the library departments are dedicated not only to providing access to information, but also to assisting information seekers in developing successful strategies for finding and evaluating information for a full range of needs.
Some special “facts and figures” about the Riyad Nassar Library are: