The Library’s mission is to support the goals of the College and to improve the quality of learning and teaching by providing information services and collections in a variety of formats that serve the needs of its users. In support of this mission, the library seeks to (1) sustain and improve its collections and the services and pathways that give access to them; (2) clarify needs and develop programs to help students become more independent, more confident, and more resourceful; (3) create an information gateway through the thoughtful use of technology; (4) and ensure that library facilities are safe, inviting, and well maintained.
As the result of a generous gift from Charles P. Stevenson Jr., Bard’s library was designed by the award-winning firm of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. The resources of Stevenson Library and its satellite libraries in the Levy Economics Institute, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard Graduate Center, and Bard College Berlin include more than 900,000 volumes in paper and e-books, and access to more than 80 databases and 50,000 paper and online journals. Our participation in several regional and national resource-sharing groups such as ConnectNY, Information Delivery Services (IDS), and Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust (EAST) provide access to millions of additional resources.
The Library’s special collections include the personal library of the renowned political theorist Hannah Arendt and her husband, Heinrich Bluecher; the Montgomery Place library of 19th-century statesman and jurist Edward Livingston; and the Sussman Rare Book Collection, containing more than 1,300 volumes ranging from bound manuscripts and examples of early printing to rare beatnik and political literature.
The Library plays an active role in supporting scholarship and student success. Through workshops, educational programs, and individual research consultations, library staff help students develop the information literacy skills crucial to their success as scholars and as citizens. Visit
bard.edu/academics/libraries for a full description of collections and services.