*Bentley Library Status and Services

We encourage anyone who is interested in archival material to contact the archives directly to ask about access to Archives material. Please send an email to archives@bentley.edu with your questions.

Yes, with restrictions. Study rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. Advance reservations are not available. Many study rooms are limited to single occupancy; some of the larger rooms accommodate two people. Please check the occupancy sign posted on each room.

Yes. Face coverings are required in all library spaces at all times, including in study rooms, study carrels and pods, and at study tables. For more information about Bentley’s Face Coverings policies, please visit https://www.bentley.edu/backtobentley/healthandwellness.

Yes. Printers and scanners are available. Please maintain 6 feet of distance while waiting to use the equipment, and wash or use hand sanitizer before and after using any shared equipment in the library.

Food will not be permitted in the library. Beverages are allowed, and it is permissible to very briefly pull down your face covering to take a sip of a beverage. You are not allowed to remove your covering or pull it down for an extended period of time.

Library staff are following all state and university COVID-19 public health guidelines. These include maintaining physical distance, wearing face coverings, frequent handwashing/disinfecting and performing a health self-check before coming to campus. Library staff who can work from home will do so. For the reopening of library spaces, additional measures include:

• Anyone entering the Bentley Library must swipe their Bentley ID. This ensures that only members of the Bentley community will be accessing the space.
• Building occupancy will be limited and monitored.
• Library spaces and furnishings have been reconfigured to meet occupancy and physical distancing guidelines. In areas where furniture has not been changed (e.g. study rooms), signage will clearly indicate the allowable occupancy.
• To minimize interactions at the Library Services Desk we are implementing a self-service, open holds shelf. Library users will be able to grab their hold items from a cart in the lobby and check them out using the self-check machine. Users will also be required to use self-check when borrowing books and DVDs from the stacks.
• Reference and Research services will be conducted online, including via live chat, email, text, and Zoom. 
• All research instruction sessions for both hybrid and synchronous classes will be conducted online via Zoom.
• Appropriate cleaning products will be provided for wiping down shared computers, scanners, and copiers between uses. Wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers are available throughout the library. 
• Books and other library materials returned by users will be quarantined for 3 days before being re-shelved. [Please note that this does not include course reserves materials, which will be circulated without a quarantine period. We encourage you to wash your hands before and after using reserves materials.]

No. It is not necessary to clean or disinfect library materials given the precautions our staff will be taking, and it may damage the materials. We encourage users to practice good hand hygiene when using any library materials.

No. We regret that we cannot welcome everyone in person, but at this time only current Bentley students, faculty and staff are allowed in the library. We remain closed to alumni, community users, and visitors until further notice.

We are not accepting donations at this time, but Bentley faculty may contact their library liaison to discuss donation options.

Per Bentley University guidelines, any off-campus students wishing to come to campus should be enrolled in the testing program. Please view the guidelines specifically for off-campus students for instructions on how to enroll in the weekly testing program and information about visiting campus.

Students in the testing program receive a wristband after they have been tested which is needed to enter the library. You will also need a valid Bentley ID to use the card-swipe to enter the building.

If you have questions visiting campus and testing, contact info for student help is located on the bottom of the Back to Bentley page.