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*Bentley Library Status and Services

Due to precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, services at the Bentley Library will be different from past academic years. This guide provides an overview of our services and operations and will be updated throughout the year.

Start of Spring Trimester: January 19 - January 31

Library Status: Bentley Library building closed; Virtual help services and online resources are available.

Per University guidance, the library building is scheduled to reopen on February 1st, which is the expected first day of in-person hybrid classes to be held on campus. Until the building reopens, the following virtual service hours will be in effect:

Virtual Reference & Research Help Hours

Sunday Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday
1:00-9:00 pm 8:30 am - 9:00 pm 8:30 am - 4:00 pm 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Visit the Reference & Research Help page for full services and contact information.

Virtual Library Services Help Hours

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
12:00 - 8:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Closed

Library Services contact information can be found on our Contact Us page.

All Hours are in Eastern Time. Hours are subject to change on holidays or for unforeseen circumstances. For up-to-date information, check the online calendar.

Other Services Available:

  • Electronic collections including eBooks, Streaming Films, article databases, and more will continue to be available 24/7 from off-campus using your Bentley email address and password. For more information, visit our Getting Started @ the Bentley Library -- Online! page.
  • Contactless Pickup of physical library materials (excluding reserves items) available Wednesdays January 20th and 27th from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

About the Bentley Library Reopening & Ongoing Operations

The Bentley Library building was closed from March 17 - September 8, 2020 as we moved to provide online services only amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the summer in 2020, we prepared to reopen for the Fall 2020 trimester with the health and safety of students, staff, and faculty in mind.  

This Back to the Bentley Library guide will fill you in on our reopening plans for the 2020-2021 academic year including information on new services we’re offering and what’s going to be different when visiting the library in-person. 

We will be adhering to the guidance and protocols established by Bentley University, the City of Waltham, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the federal government.

In addition, we have consulted guidelines and recommendations released specifically for libraries from the following organizations:

  • American Library Association (ALA)
  • Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)
  • Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
  • OCLC
  • Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC)
  • Massachusetts Library System (MLS)
  • Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)

We have also been in touch with our partners in the Boston Library Consortium (BLC).

Our plans, policies, and services can change at any time as new information and guidance related to COVID-19 becomes available. We will communicate these changes with the Bentley community and these pages will be updated. 

News announcements will be posted on our library website and our In the Know blog. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to receive news alerts.  

Don’t forget: The Bentley Library is here to support you even if you are not on campus or would prefer to access our resources remotely. Visit our Getting Started @ the Bentley Library – Online! guide for information on how to use the library from off-campus and services available.