College libraries?

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Drawing a bit on the theme of the earlier post on adult education, I was wondering something slightly different.

I'm about to start a master's program online, and the degree requirements will mean that I have to have access to a college library. Tufts is the most convenient, but Harvard is pretty convenient too, as I work and live on the red line.

Anyone know anything about getting access to these university's libraries as a non-student? This isn't my only source of information, but we've got a pretty diverse crowd here and I thought someone might know a bit about it.

Comments

[siderea]

I use everybody's libraries. :) What field are you researching?

1) Tufts is wonderful about guests.

2) MIT lets absolutely anyone in to all of it's libraries, except possibly the Retrospective Collection. It has a really eclectic collection. In addition to the obvious technical stuff you'd expect, their humanities collections go in the wierdest directions. For instance, I'm a music history buff, and MIT is great -- for no reason I can see -- in it's medieval music resources. MIT doesn't even have a decent (i.e. pre-1650) music history course. Go fig.

MIT has the singular trait that it's Humanities and Sciences libraries are open 24hrs a day during the term.

3) Every Harvard library is allowed to set its own policies. Hell will freeze over (which it probably has, tonight ;) before you get into Wiedener. But the other libraries may be open to you as a guest. I've used the Isham Music Library there without problems, for instance.

4) BU allows people in, but I've never really tried to use them, as they're not convenient to me.

5) Leslie University seems to admit the general public to it's library. They have extensive education and social work collections. I've only had to go there once, but it's about 5 blocks from Harvard Sq.

Thank you!

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's a library science program! I need a place to study, and a facility to use for whatever class research that may come my way. And then I'm also really lazy sometimes about getting up and going where I need to go, so I was thinking that the two unis closest to me would be the best bet, because otherwise I might be less willing to go.

Good tip on MIT and Lesley! I don't know what all they may have that I can use but I will definitely check them out.

Re: Thank you!

[cedarmulberry.livejournal.com]

>> Actually, it's a library science program!

If you need LIS specific materials that are worth the hike into Boston: I don't know whether having random people walk in is officially allowed or not, but I've never seen Simmons card at the door. You just won't be able to log onto the computers (except the OPAC-specific ones in front). Things are kind of shuffled around for renovation, but the LIS stuff is on the fourth floor.

And Widener-- yeah. enroll, or get hired by them. But fortunately, there are a lot of other libraries around.

Re: Thank you!

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Simmons was almost my choice, but I liked the curriculum at Drexel so much more. Hard to explain--just the difference between Simmons assuming everyone wants to work with a public or school library, and Drexel assuming everyone wants to manage a database of digital data. But yeah, I imagine they'd be pretty friendly to work with. It's just hard to GET there from here--no Fenway parking, and the green line is a world away from where I work in Quincy.

Re: Thank you!

[cedarmulberry.livejournal.com]

If your near the red line in Somerville/Cambridge (judging by your Tufts/Harvard question) you can get off the Red Line at Central, and then take the 47 bus right to Simmons-- if there's ever somethig field-specific that you can't get closer by.

But yeah- parking=no go.

I actually come from a computer programming background-- I thought I was making a major career change, and chose Simmons because of it's professional focus-- but now I'm realizing that my interest really does like on the Information Science side, so there's a good chance I'll go on to a Ph.D somewhere with a focus that better matches my own.

So, yes, Simmons is a good school, with a strong focus on actually working in an academic/school/public library. But I think that for the techie-curriculum, Drexel is stronger.

Re: Thank you!

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I had not realized that you were attending Simmons. Are you thinking of a Ph.D in the library field or branching out?

Mind if I friend you?

Re: Thank you!

[cedarmulberry.livejournal.com]

Sure =^)