SDG 11.2.2: Public access to libraries including books and publications

One of the general strategies of Islamic university of Lebanon (IUL) is to provide access to educational resources for all people in the country. The IUL central library is one of the important units that provide this type of access to public and especially those not studying at the university for the purpose of best quality education. 

In addition of IUL Central Library, IUL also open in 2017 a digital library with open free access for all people. The IUL digital library is one of the important digital libraries in Middle East.  

About IUL library

The Central Library was established alongside the founding of the University in 1995, with the aim of providing teachers and students, as well as public readers, with educational research services and resources. 

Since its establishment, the Library has joined the Lebanese Library Association and the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information. In 2006, it became a member of the Arabic Union Catalog. The Library participates in meetings and specialized workshops locally, regionally and globally. 

In 2011, a branch library was opened in Tyre, and according to the plan of the University campus in Wardaniyeh, there will be a separate building with five levels allocated for the University library. 

It is important to mention that the Library received a Certificate of Appreciation for “excellence in quality” during the fourth conference of the Arabic Union Catalog (in 2011) for its commitment to the standards of cataloging rules.

The Central Library role is to support the academic community including instructors, researchers and students, through providing different types of information resources and quality services that meet international standards, in line with the strategic objectives of the University. The Library aims at enhancing its role as an essential partner in the process of research and education and as a liaison between the members of the academic community. As such, the Library seeks, with its different logistic and moral routes, to encourage and support reading, intellectual interaction, teamwork, research production and information literacy. It also seeks always to improve the quality of its services. 

IUL Central Library Services 

The academic researcher can access the online library catalog via the internet from anywhere in the world, and use it to search among all the library collections. In addition to a range of search options in the online catalog, there are options to “Renew my materials”; “Recommend to order” and ask for online help through “Ask a Librarian”. The library also provides a special research department with six computers connected to the internet in the main reading room. 

 

  • Reference service and guidance

The Library meets the needs of patrons by responding to inquiries and provides guidance on accessing information to meet their scientific needs, either by direct contact with the Department of Information and Circulation, or through telephone calls or via email. The library also provides a special section for Reference, including various resources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, guides and atlases. 

 

The Library provides a collection of electronic resources that include eBooks, articles and theses, in both full texts and abstracts. These resources also cover different specialties taught at the university. 

  • Training sessions 

The library organizes training sessions for patrons throughout the academic year when these are requested by a Professor/Tutor/Department head. These sessions cover how to use the online catalog and to search across all the internet information resources 

 

  • Daily newspapers and periodicals 

The library provides a wide range of academic journals, periodicals and scientific magazines in hard copy, covering all the different specialties at the university, and the collection grows according to educational needs. In addition, the library receives the majority of Lebanese newspapers and the Official Government Newspaper. 

 

  • Loan service  

Internal loan or access to library resources while inside the library is free of charge and available for any visitor from outside the university. 

External loan allows beneficiary members of the Library a loan of a specific number of documents for a specific period. 

Loans for the semester: A professor may borrow one or more documents for a whole semester. 

 

  • Reservation 

Academic reserve allows a professor to reserve an article, book, or any other document to be used by his students inside the library or to be loaned for a specific period. 

Public reserve allows a borrower to make a reservation if the book has already been checked out or is at another library branch. The reservation (hold) can be made via the Circulation department at the library or via the User Online Account on the online catalog. 

 

 

  • Photocopying and printing 

The library provides this service to university students and to visitors from outside the University for a Fee set by the library’s administration. 

 

  • Free WIFI service 

The library provides free WIFI that visitors can connect to via their portable devices. 

 

  • Social networking 

The library staff have created accounts on major social network (Facebook; Blogger; Twitter; YouTube) in order to post updates, to enhance communication among associates, scholars and students, and to facilitate information access for all