General Collection

General Collection: Books in Turkish, German, French and other foreign languages, mainly English, are available in this section. The basic books in this section cover education, psychology, sociology, politics, economics, art, philosophy, religion, history, literature, astronomy, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and engineering. The collection is organized according to the Library of Congress Classification System (LCC). All resources in the General Collection can be borrowed. While Turkish Literature books starting with the subject number PL 248 are on the open shelves, all General Collection resources are currently in storage due to library renovations.

Near East Collection

Near East Collection: This is a special collection containing resources related to the Republic of Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, and Near Eastern civilizations. The collection also includes books on Hittite, Byzantine, Urartu, and Armenian history, art, literature, sociology, and Islam. The Near East Collection is located in storage. All resources, except some special editions, can be borrowed.

Rare Books and Historical Archives Collection

Rare Books and Historical Archives Collection: The Boğaziçi University Library rare works collection contains approximately 30,000 works of various types dating from the 16th to the 20th century. The foundation of the collection is based on the Robert College Library. Cyrus Hamlin, the founder and first principal of Robert College, mentions in his memoirs that Harvard University Law School donated 200 valuable books on the occasion of the establishment of the College. These donations and other books collected at the time formed the first core of the Robert College Library.

When Robert College was transferred to the Turkish Government in 1971, the library collection and rare works were taken over together. Since the establishment of Boğaziçi University, the collection has continued to grow through new donations.

The historical archives collection includes the personal archives of Adalet Ağaoğlu, Aptullah Kuran, Aziz Ogan, İsmayil Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, Jale İnan, the Scott Family, and Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, as well as the digital archives of Robert College and the American College for Girls. The collection contains rich materials shedding light on late Ottoman and modern Turkish history in fields such as history, architecture, archaeology, foreign policy, culture, art, and literature.

The Rare Works Collection is open to Boğaziçi University faculty members, master’s and doctoral students, as well as external master’s and doctoral students and faculty members. Research requests for specific purposes are also accommodated. Users wishing to benefit from the Rare Books and Historical Archives Collection must complete the Rare Works Use Request Form.

Electronic Resources Collection

Electronic Resources Collection: The collection includes e-journals, e-books, music, video, and newspaper databases. BU Library users can access more than 105,000 e-journals, over 1 million e-books, and more than 150 databases at any time, both on and off campus. Members of Boğaziçi University can access all subscribed electronic resources under the “Electronic Resources” menu. For more information, please see the “Electronic Resources” and “Research Opportunities” menus.

Print Magazines

Print Magazines: Printed magazines located in the reader’s lounge are for in-library use only.

Reference Resources Collection

Reference Resources Collection: The Reference Collection includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, biographies, legislation, maps, master’s and doctoral theses written at Boğaziçi University, research reports, Turkish and British standards, and other reference materials. Reference resources are not permitted to be taken out of the library.

Reserve Collection

Reserve Collection: This collection consists of printed and electronic resources determined by instructors according to course content. Printed materials may be borrowed for a maximum of two hours for in-library use, while electronic resources are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. To add a publication to the reserve collection, the Course Publication Request Form must be completed. For communication, please contact boun.reserve@gmail.com.

Audiovisual Collection

Audiovisual Collection: Located on the ground floor of the North Campus ETA-B, this section has a capacity for 20 people to watch TV and 8 people to listen to music simultaneously. It offers a comfortable service with a collection of approximately 3500 records donated from Robert College, 5000 current DVDs, and 4000 CDs. No reservations are required to watch movies.

Adalet Ağaoğlu Collections

Adalet Ağaoğlu Collection: This is a special collection consisting of books from Adalet Ağaoğlu’s personal library donated to the Boğaziçi University Library. Some volumes include handwritten notes by Ağaoğlu. The materials are available for in-library use only and are not loaned.

Adalet Ağaoğlu Signed Books Collection: This collection consists of signed copies from Adalet Ağaoğlu’s personal library donated to the Library. These books are generally signed and dedicated to Ağaoğlu by their authors. They are kept in glass-doored cabinets in the user lounge and are available for in-library use only.

Microfilm Archive

Microfilm Archive: Cumhuriyet (1924–2002), Milliyet (1970–2001), The Times (1785–1850; 1981–1994), The New York Times (1851–1993), Times Educational Supplement (1981–1994), and Times Higher Education Supplement (1981–1994). The microfilm machine in the library can be used to read or scan microfilms.