English 1: People and Things: Using Other Libraries

Even more options for finding books. ​While you can't request titles for delivery, you can visit these libraries, set up an account, and check out materials. 

• Simmons College Library: Simmons has a well-rounded liberal arts collection, with a special focus on health sciences, social work, and business. You can set up an account and check out books, and use their extensive database collection while inside the building. 
• Tufts University Tisch Library: Tufts has an extensive, multi-subject print collection, and as an SMFA student you can check out books and use their large online database collection from off-campus.
• Boston Public Library: BPL access is available to anyone lives, attends school, or is employed in Massachusetts. Setting up a library card with the BPL grants you access to books and DVDs from their 26 branches located throughout the city, as well as online databases, ebooks, audio books, streaming music, and much more. Visit their Borrowing and Circulating page for more information. 

When you search the FLO catalog, you're searching the collections of all libraries in the FLO consortium. It's easy to have books delivered to the SMFA Library (see here for instructions), so why visit?

Browsing and serendipitous discovery

Catalogs are great tools for searching a library's print collection, but when you browse physical shelves you can see, at a glance, several titles that are related to each other in some way. This leaves you open to discovering books you may not have even known you were looking for. 

Using article databases

In most cases, you will have access to a FLO member library's electronic journal subscriptions if you are using a computer at that library, or accessing the campus wi-fi network. These resources are only available if you are physically in the library or on campus. Most of the FLO libraries indicate which databases they provide access to on their websites (linked below), so feel free to check and see if any meet your research needs. 

Depending on what you're researching, visiting another FLO library may be extremely helpful. Here is a list of all FLO libraries, with links to their websites and summaries of their collection strengths. 

• Emerson College: media studies, communications, theater, philosophy 
• Emmanuel College: well-rounded liberal arts collection
• Lesley University: elementary and secondary education, art, religious studies 
• MassArt: art, pre-20th century art, artists' books
• Mass College of Pharmacy: health sciences
• Museum of Fine Arts: pre-20th century art
• New England College of Optometry: health sciences
• New England Conservatory: music
• Wentworth Institute of Technology: architecture, design, engineering 
• Wheelock College: early childhood education, social work

Please feel free to get in touch with a librarian at absolutely any stage of your research process.

We encourage you to schedule a research consultation with Ashley Peterson (apeterson@smfa.edu, 617-369-3653)  for an in-depth discussion about your research goals. 

For quicker questions, please feel free to stop by the Library's front desk (located on the third floor of the B side of the Fenway building). You can also email or call the front desk at library@smfa.edu/617-369-3650.