Boston Library Consortium

Boston Library Consortium

What is the Boston Library Consortium?
The Boston Library Consortium (BLC) is a group of academic and research libraries located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Current member institutions can be found at the Boston Library Consortium member page.

Who can use the consortium?
Consortium access is available to current UConn faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. (The service does not extend to the UConn Health Center or Law School communities). The person requesting consortium access must also be in good standing with the UConn Library, for example having no lost items outstanding on their account.

Can I have in-person access to the consortium libraries?
Yes, you can have access to the consortium libraries by obtaining a consortium card. You can obtain the consortium card by visiting the Babbidge Library’s iDesk, or the circulation desk at any of the UConn regional campuses. Consortium cards expire at the end of the month of the current semester (5/31, 8/31, or 12/31) for undergraduates; for graduate students, faculty, and staff, consortium cards expire on the following 8/31. Cards can be renewed as long as you are still eligible and may not be transferred.

I hold a consortium card from another institution (not UConn). How can I use it to borrow UConn materials? 
Patrons with a BLC card from another institution are issued a free Community Borrower card. You will need your BLC card and your institution ID card (if your institution ID does not have a photograph, you may present other photo ID instead). All Community Borrower policies apply.  

Community Borrower cards may be obtained at the iDesk in the Homer Babbidge Library on the Storrs campus, or the circulation desk at any of the UConn regional campuses. Please check the opening hours of the library before your visit. The UConn Health Library and Law Library do not participate in the BLC program. 

Please see the BLC Consortium Card information page for more information on the program, including its privileges and policies, before you visit a consortium member library. Borrowing privileges, loan periods, and fine policies vary at each member institution; you are responsible for any charges you accrue, and failure to abide by member library policies may result in the loss of library privileges at all BLC libraries. You should return your materials to the library you visited.