In the Know @ the Bentley Library

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Banned Books Week, a week that celebrates the freedom to read and condemns censorship at all levels. This past year has been particularly fraught for librarians and educators as we try and stem the rise in literary challenges. In 2021 there were 729 challenges to 1597 books compared to 156 challenges to 273 books in 2020. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom notes, “This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials.

Summer session ends this week! We hope all of you are able to enjoy some fun and relaxation in the two week break before the fall semester begins.

The library will be closed nights and weekends while classes are not in session - Saturday, August 20 through Sunday, September 4.  We will also be closed on Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor Day. Regular semester hours will resume with the start of classes on Tuesday, September 6. 

Saturday, August 20 through Sunday, September 4

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on some reading and the Bentley Library has plenty of titles to choose from! Want to unravel a mystery? Explore a fantasy universe? Time travel with a historical fiction novel? Learn a new skill?

Search by title, author, or keyword in the Bentley Library Search if you already have something in mind and want to see if it is available at the library.

Commute getting you down? Going on a summer road trip? Why not try listening to an audiobook!

Since 2010 we've been tracking the library's most popular books, DVDs, and OverDrive downloadable e-books and audiobooks based on the number of times they have been borrowed during the academic year (excluding items placed on reserve for a class)*. These annual "Bentley Bestsellers" lists are a great way to discover new books and films to explore!

In observance of Independence Day, the library will be closed Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4. We will resume regular summer hours at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5. View the online calendar for complete information about building and research help hours.

In Spring 2022, Kanopy upgraded its website to a new design aimed at creating a more user-centered platform. Many of these enhancements were derived from user feedback and implemented to create a more intuitive viewing experience. Below are details of some of these improvements.

New Top Navigation
The top navigation bar of your library’s Kanopy website has been redesigned for simpler browsing, searching, and account management.

Last week you received a message about the new Library Search platform, and today we are happy to announce the launch of a new Bentley Library website! This completes a months-long process of building a user-focused portal to our collections, online resources, and services.

Today Bentley Library launched its new, cloud-based integrated library system (ILS) from ExLibris. The new Library Search provides a better user experience for finding print and electronic resources in one convenient search box.

Library Search can help you manage your research, too. When you sign into your library account you are able to:

In observance of Juneteenth, the library will be closed Saturday, June 18 through Monday, June 20. Regular summer session hours will resume at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21. View the online calendar for complete information about building and research help hours.