Departments
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Dean's Office
David Seaman is Dean of Libraries and University Librarian. He leads library staff to deliver the services and collections necessary to drive 21st century research, teaching and learning, and to provide welcoming spaces for study, collaboration and innovation. From May 2019 to January 2020, he was also Interim Dean of the School of Information Studies (iSchool). Dean Seaman came to Syracuse after library leadership positions at Dartmouth College, The Digital Library Federation and the University of Virginia. He has lectured and published extensively in the fields of humanities computing and digital libraries and taught for many years at the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School.
Contact Information:
315.443.5533
Manages the administration and office services.
Works closely with the Dean to help advance the Libraries’ mission through the philanthropy of our generous alumni, friends, Library Associates, and our dedicated Libraries Advisory Board. The generosity of our Syracuse University community enhances learning and discovery by helping provide critical access to information, resident Libraries experts, and dedicated Libraries spaces.
Contact Information:
Ronald Thiele, Assistant Dean for Advancement
315.443.2537 or 315.560.9419
Leads the direction on generating increased awareness, usage, affinity and philanthropic consideration for the Libraries' resources and services. We help the Libraries connect with our key audiences—faculty, students, parents, alumni, administrators and staff—and encourage communication and interaction with the Libraries.
Hanging Flyers or Posters:
We embrace a culture that shares information across the campus community. There are two community bulletin boards in Bird Library on the first floor next to each vending machine area. There is also a Libraries' maintained bulletin board outside the Librarians office in Carnegie Library. These can be used by students, faculty and staff. Flyers and posters are only permitted on the designated community bulletin boards. They should include the name of the sponsoring organization and a contact department or person.
Media Inquiries:
Media inquiries regarding Syracuse University Libraries should be directed to the University's media relations team at media@syr.edu or via phone at 315.443.3784.
Permission to Film or Take Photos:
Please complete the Request to Photograph or Film Form.
Sponsorship Request
Please complete the Sponsorship Request Form.
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Provides support, development and training for a variety of systems, technology and applications used across the Libraries. This includes desktop and systems support, Integrated Library System Management (ILSM) and Application Development.
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The Blackstone LaunchPad is the University’s innovation hub, connecting the entire campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors, and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students, and alumni across disciplines who are interested in innovation, invention, entrepreneurship, venture creation, careers, entrepreneurial skills, diversity, equity, inclusion, and taking ideas from concept to commercialization. The program supports a key pillar of Syracuse University’s Academic Strategic Plan to create an innovation ecosystem across the institution that prepares participants to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.
Watch the Blackstone LaunchPad video
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Located in Dineen Hall, the Law Library serves the educational and research needs of the College of Law, the University and the community.
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Special Collections Research Center
The Diane and Arthur Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive is the first studio ever designed solely for audio preservation, containing a live end–dead end studio with two control rooms. Founded as an audio archive in 1963 with a collection of 150,000 recordings held off-campus under the leadership of Walter L. Welch, the Special Collections Research Center's collection of sound recordings and related items has grown to over 500,000 items. The collection includes formats from the earliest experimental recordings on tinfoil to modern digital media. The Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive maintains equipment capable of playing back all of these formats, and performs preservation, digitization and delicate restoration work on deteriorating recordings.
Recording Studio and Instruction
The Belfer Laboratory has a Live End/Dead End recording studio and control rooms designed by Chips Davis, nationally recognized acoustic expert and recording studio designer. One control room is furnished entirely with digital equipment by Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music. It is used as a teaching laboratory for students in the Music Industry program, where they learn the principles and processes of contemporary studio recording.
The active instruction program utilizes sound recordings, sound playback equipment and other material from its collections.
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Sound Beat is a 90-second daily radio program based on recordings held within the Belfer Audio Archive. Each episode provides a short backstory on a specific piece of recorded sound. The show is on air in 360 markets, carried by commercial and community-supported stations throughout North America, the Philippines and New Zealand. It is also available for listening or download via the website at Sound Beat.
Contact Information:
Contact soundbeat@syr.edu.
Focused on collecting and preserving rare books, manuscripts and other primary source materials, it provides a vibrant research and learning environment for Syracuse University students, faculty, and the wider scholarly community. It provides access to world-renowned rare and archival collections and expert guidance in their use to facilitate personal discovery and the creation of new knowledge.
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Dedicated to preserving records that document the history, organization, policies, activities and people of the University, and making those records available to researchers.
Records Include:
- Papers of Chancellors and Board of Trustees
- Records of schools, colleges and departments
- Papers of more than 250 faculty, staff and alumni
- Publications
- More than 750,000 visual images
- More than 5,000 films and videotapes
- Nearly 24,500 theses and dissertations
- Newspaper clippings
- Memorabilia
Materials in the Archives are available to all members of the Syracuse University community and to the public, except for certain collections that are restricted in whole or in part. This includes both University administrative data and faculty and staff collections.
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Academic Success
Provides users with seamless access to needed resources, including:
- Access and circulation in Bird and Carnegie Libraries:
- General collection, government information, maps, music, media and games
- Laptops and loaner technology
- Study rooms
- Course Reserves
- Delivery services:
- Article to Go document delivery
- Library to Go departmental delivery
- Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing
- Preservation
- Facility, high-density storage
- Alternate Format Services
Contact Information:
- Circulation: circhelp@syr.edu, 315.443.5727
- Interlibrary Loan: ill@syr.edu, 315.443.3725
- Course Reserves: reserve@syr.edu, 315.443.6215
- Carnegie Library Circulation Desk: carnegie@syr.edu, 315.443.2160
- Bird Library, 3rd Floor Service Desk: multimed@syr.edu, 315.443.4176
- Delivery Services: delivery@syr.edu, 315.443.2452
- Preservation: mhanley@syr.edu, 315.443.4560
Delivers quality educational opportunities to advance the University's teaching and learning. We support students and faculty in developing skills to succeed in an increasingly complex information society through information discovery, understanding how information is produced and valued and using information to create new knowledge and participate in communities of learning.*
Instruction is delivered by a diverse team of librarians who teach in a multitude of spaces, employ a variety of pedagogical approaches and reach a wide range of student populations.
We offer a variety of programming to support learning, including in-person and online classes, events, library tours, information fairs, and research workshops. We partner with academic departments in a variety of ways, including integration with first-year courses (such as WRT 105/205 and First Year Seminar), collaboration with Syracuse University Project Advance classes, faculty collaborations with the Special Collections Research Center, and introductory and upper-division discipline-specific instruction by subject liaisons.
The Libraries also deliver information literacy instruction through reference consultations at service desks and by appointment, research support for study groups, roving reference, and learning objects such as research guides and online tutorials.
*Association of College and Research Libraries, Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, 2015
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Supports student achievement and success through a variety of services, including reference, printing and technology support, outreach and liaison partnerships, instruction, event planning, exhibitions and more. We also welcome collaborations with campus entities or other creative programs. Find us in person at our service desks and via email, phone or 24/7 via chat or text services.
Reference and Information Services
As a Syracuse University student, staff or faculty member, you have 24/7 online access to thousands of peer-reviewed journals, e-books and so much more. Finding the resources you need can be challenging. Our professionally-trained staff are available to help you in person, by phone, email or chat. We save you time by showing you how to find and use the best available sources for your research.
Technology and Printing Assistance
Located on the first floor of Bird Library, the Technology Desk provides assistance with standard and poster (plotter) printing, scanning, wireless access, copying and use of the campus print management system (PaperCut). For more information, see our Printing and Technology page.
Tabling and Space Requests at Bird Library
SU students, faculty and staff looking to use the open space of the lower three floors of Bird Library can complete the Tabling & Other Space Request form. See the Learning Commons page for examples of the types of activities and requests we can accommodate.
Note: if you are seeking to reserve rooms in Bird, please use the Reserve a Room page.
Exhibitions and Displays
We curate displays and exhibits in the three mobile cases on the 1st floor of Bird Library. For current and past exhibits, see our Learning Commons Exhibits page. We also actively facilitate and support the display of student, faculty and others' collections on the Learning Commons floors of Bird Library.
New Book Displays
The new books area is located just inside the University Place entrance to Bird Library on the first floor. New books are curated from fiction, non-fiction, art, SU authors and SU Press. We also feature special displays for celebratory months and notable times of the year (like Black History Month or Asian Pacific Heritage Month) or to reflect collaborations with other campus groups. If you are interested in collaborating or proposing ideas for special displays, contact colls@syr.edu.
Contact Information:
Call 315.443.4083
Text 315.464.0744
Email libref@syr.edu
Operational Excellence
Budget office manages finances for Syracuse University Libraries. Provides oversight and reporting of all transactions to ensure fiscal responsibility. Functions include:
- Budget management and reporting
- Gift and endowment revenue and spend oversight
- Grant monitoring
- Payroll expense review
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University Business, Finance and Administrative Services
Business Office/Mailroom manages supply and purchase requests, processes employee expense and reimbursements, receives and distributes mail and shipments, handles invoice payment requests, and administers FedEx and UPS shipment requests.
Responsible for ensuring that library facilities are properly maintained, comfortable and safe. This is accomplished through building supervision and coordination of services provided by campus departments (Physical Plant, Department of Public Safety, etc.).
Lost and Found
Bird Library Room 125
Responsible for addressing and assisting library employees with personnel related questions and issues such as:
- Benefits
- Disability, salary continuation and FMLA
- University's labor agreement for bargaining unit employees
- Recruitment
- Compensation/Payroll
- Staff recognition programs
- Librarian promotion process
- Performance evaluations
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Centralizes information for management decision-making statistics, assessment, project management and scheduling. We assist Libraries management in identifying, processing, analyzing, interpreting and maintaining information to provide effective spaces and services for patrons.
- Using a project-oriented approach, continuously improve through assessment, process improvement and streamlined workflows
- Develop a centralized repository of information to help manage the Libraries
- Use data and monitor metrics to make recommendations regarding resources and facilities
- Provide benchmarks and comparative data from other universities to identify possible improvements
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Helps University community identify, inventory and manage records in accordance with the University Retention Schedule; develops file plans and file-naming conventions for shared drives; and manages inactive records in the University Records Center.
- Determines how long records need to be kept to satisfy all requirements to which the records are subject.
- Ensures compliance with recordkeeping laws and regulations.
- Manages inactive records in the University Records Center.
- Organizes active records for retrieval when needed.
- Protects recorded information that supports vital business operations.
Contact Information:
315.443.8388
Hawkins Building Room 140
1600 Jamesville Ave.
Syracuse, NY 13244
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Research Excellence
Acquires, catalogs and provides access to library materials in all formats, including rare books, maps, sound recordings and videos. We work closely with Department of Research and Scholarship librarians and Special Collections Research Center to acquire resources. We contribute to national cataloging standards via CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials) and NACO (Name Authority Cooperative Program). We are responsible for the creation and accuracy of all records and access points in the Libraries' catalog.
Contact Information:
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Includes both Digital Library and Digital Stewardship. Hosts a set of digital exhibitions and digital collections that feature unique content created by or for Syracuse University students, faculty and staff, as well as users beyond our campus.
Digital Exhibitions, which are curated by the Libraries' knowledgeable staff, tell unique stories through digital objects and can be accessed via:
- Biblio Gallery Online – featuring digitized or digital artwork, a re-imagining of the Libraries’ popular 4th Floor Biblio Gallery.
- Special Collections Research Center Online Exhibitions – featuring content created by SCRC archivists and curators.
Digital Collections are primarily derived from original materials held in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC). Other collections represent materials obtained through various digital initiatives via the Libraries' Department of Research and Scholarship, campus collaborations, and materials accessed through SURFACE, the University's institutional repository.
Contact Information:
diglibrary@syr.edu - Questions about digital stewardship
divmf@syr.edu - Questions about IVMF Digital Library
Home to subject, research data and collection development and analysis librarians, with offices in Bird, Carnegie or King + King Architecture Library. We support the research, teaching, scholarship and creative work of the Syracuse University community through collection development, information literacy instruction and research services. The librarians in the department represent the interests of schools and colleges in developing dynamic library collections and services to advance the success of the University community. The librarians also provide personalized consultation to individuals and groups to advance these objectives. Teams within the department collaborate to emphasize the following areas of focus:
Digital & Open Scholarship Team
Fosters and supports innovative uses of digital technology through:
- Assisting patrons in meaningful, ethical and insightful engagement with data in all facets of their work
- Providing expert guidance in contemporary scholarly communications issues including Authors’ Rights, Open Access and new modes of publishing
- Providing opportunities for connection and support among digital scholarship communities across campus and beyond
Collections Team
Develops initiatives to build collections that support academic excellence in research, teaching and creative work by evaluating and promoting collections in all formats through:
- Increasing awareness of collections among University community through activities such as curated events and exhibits
- Understanding user needs by soliciting and reviewing collections-related feedback and suggestions
- Evaluating collections, incorporating information about user needs and participating in assessment activities
- Contributing to the Libraries’ collections infrastructure by documenting workflows, providing collections mentorship and participating in and planning professional development and training opportunities
Subject Instruction Team
Supports faculty and students through instructional services, offering curriculum-based instruction, workshops and programming and:
- Encouraging a collaborative relationship between librarians and teaching faculty to teach needed information on research methods, identifying and assessing relevant source material, citation management and other information literacy skills
- Providing specialized instruction that satisfies the unique needs of learners with varying skills, abilities and learning styles
- Collaborating with other DRS and Libraries’ teams on research consultation, educational and information literacy initiatives
- Continuously assessing programming to meet the changing expectations of the faculty, students, staff and University community
Research Impact Team
Supports Syracuse University’s goal of advancing research initiatives and achieving greater research visibility for the University by:
- Providing guidance to individuals during the creation, publication, dissemination and tenure and promotion phases of their research and creative scholarly work
- Helping researchers, departments, schools, colleges and institutes understand and communicate the impact of their scholarship
- Advocating for the responsible assessment of research and creative works and use of research metrics
- Collaborating with departments, colleges, institutes and offices across the University to analyze research trends and support intra and inter-institutional benchmarking
Contact Information:
Contact your Subject Librarian
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Established in 1943, we publish peer-reviewed scholarly monographs, edited volumes, and literature in the areas of Middle East studies, Irish studies, Jewish studies, television and popular culture, Arab American studies, disability studies, gender studies, indigenous studies, geography, peace and conflict resolution, sports, and New York State and regional studies. In keeping with the University’s longstanding commitment to serving the interests of veterans and their families, we administer a Veterans Writing Award every two years. We are a member of the Association of University Presses, and we're committed to serving New York State as well as the region, nation, and globe by publishing books that advance knowledge in fields in the humanities and social studies and make available to English-reading audiences literary works translated from languages such as Arabic, Persian, Yiddish, and Hebrew.
Contact Information:
315.443.5534
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290