Nuts & Bolts: Supercharge Your Research and Teaching with Healey Library
10/31/2022
Greetings, faculty colleagues!
We write to you from the Healey Library, the academic heart of UMass Boston. Maybe we’re biased, but we’re pretty sure libraries give people superpowers. We want to make sure that faculty know about all the resources available to them, not only to enrich their own work, but also to be able to offer support and resources to their students, many of whom may not even be aware of the full extent of support that libraries can provide. See below for an overview of some of our services, and let us know if you’re looking for something that you don’t see here!
Do you need access to materials (such as books or films) that are not currently held by the library? Submit a request form and we will look into purchasing or licensing them for you.
Would you like to reserve library materials for your students to use? We can place print books, films, DVDs, and ebooks on reserve for you.
InterLibrary Loan (ILL) and Document Delivery
Submit requests for books, journal articles, and films that are unavailable at Healey Library, and we will borrow copies from other libraries for you to use. We can also digitize and deliver Healey Library materials to you electronically.
Submit a request for a library instruction session and our librarians will teach your students critical thinking and information-seeking skills with library resources.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Using Open Educational Resources (OERs) and resources available through Healey Library as your course materials helps to reduce costs for UMass Boston students and promotes persistence and degree completion. Ask a librarian for assistance with locating existing high-quality resources that are available at no extra cost to students. Healey Library is also a partner in campus efforts to expand the use of OERs in classes, so be on the lookout for future opportunities to make your courses more affordable and accessible to students!
Would you like a librarian to assist you with your research and scholarship? Explore our library FAQs or schedule an appointment to meet with a reference librarian. We are here to help you!
Our librarians have created many online research guides to support student learning. Explore our existing guides or contact us to request a new subject or course-specific guide.
Curriculum Resource Collection
We are actively investing in updating our collection of curriculum materials, so stop by the 4th floor (near the Reference Desk) and take home some books for the young readers in your lives!
University Archives and Special Collections
The UMass Boston Archives collects original materials documenting the history of the university, as well as a number of topics relating to the history of the Greater Boston area and various social issues. Like our librarians, the Healey Library’s archivists offer instruction sessions and research assistance for students and faculty.
We are also pleased to announce that over the past year, our archivists have been collecting the historical records of the FSU in both physical and digital formats in order to preserve the history of our union. If you have your own FSU materials that you would like to contribute to this collection, please contact the Archives at library.archives@umb.edu.
While we are not formally affiliated with the Boston Public Library (one of only two public research libraries in the country–the other is the New York Public Library), we would have to turn in our librarian badges if we didn’t remind folks that anyone who lives, works, attends school, or owns property in the state of Massachusetts is eligible for a BPL eCard. Your BPL eCard gives you access to extensive online research resources as well as a variety of materials for all ages, such as e-books, audiobooks, streaming videos, magazines, and music.
We hope that you enjoy the rest of your semester, and please reach out if we can help you in any way. Just as “this is your union,” we hope you know that “this is your library” and that we are excited to work with you to help the library meet the needs of you and your students!
Your friends in the library,
Jessica Holden, Reference Archivist
Mary Moser, Engagement and Advancement Librarian
For information on the FSU, links to our contract and bargaining updates, and a calendar of events, see the FSU webpage