About the Library
In 1955, the Frederic William Boatwright Memorial Library was officially dedicated and opened on the University of Richmond campus. It serves as a memorial and testimony to Boatwright's sixty-eight years of service to the institution as student, professor, president, and chancellor.
Continuing into the 21st century, the Boatwright Memorial Library strives to provide University of Richmond students, faculty, and staff with information resources and services that enable them to excel in their academic and intellectual pursuits.
The Boatwright Memorial Library includes major collections in the sciences, fine arts, music, humanities, film, maps, theater, government documents, and rare books and manuscripts. At present, there are close to half a million volumes of books, more than 100,000 bound periodicals, and thousands of multimedia items including videos in the collection. Electronic resources are available through the library and the College's computer labs, as well as from outside the library through the Library's web site.
Mission Statement
Boatwright Memorial Library empowers University of Richmond community members to excel in their academic, intellectual and individual pursuits by providing diverse information resources, personalized services, and creative learning spaces.
Vision Statement
As stewards of knowledge, we will inspire growth of personal and academic potential, cultivate diversity, and foster joy in lifelong learning.
Special Collections
The University Libraries' Special Collections are housed in the 1955 wing of Boatwright Library and are available for use by appointment only through the Reference Department. The collections include non-circulating materials which are separate from the libraries' main circulating collections because of their unique nature or value. Included are early materials on Richmond, Virginiana, and the South, faculty publications, specially autographed materials, late 19th and early 20th century literary and scholarly journals, 2 sets of Congressional papers, and unique out of print materials too fragile for the circulating collections.
Galvin Rare Book Room
The Galvin Rare Book Room houses some 25,000 books, broadsides, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, music scores, facsimiles, and photographs. Among the collections are some 500 Confederate Imprints published between 1861-1865; rare facsimile volumes of The Books of Kells, the Mazarin edition of The Gutenberg Bible, The Lindesfarne Gospels, and Alfonso X's Cantigas De Santa Maria; and more than a 1,000 items, including autographed first editions, letters, photographs, manuscripts, and other memorabilia of Richmonder Mark Lutz and his close friend, Carl Van Vechten, the novelist and renowned New York Times music critic. There are also over a hundred volumes from the Dunlora Academy and the Virginia Baptist Seminary, the antecedents of the University of Richmond. More than 50% of the collections can be accessed through the UR Libraries online catalog. The Galvin Rare Book Room is open by appointment to anyone for legitimate research purposes.
Media Resource Center
The Media Resource Center (MRC) is located on the second floor of Boatwright Memorial Library. It provides a variety of media materials for classroom presentations and circulation to students, faculty and staff. The MRC materials collection includes over 10,000 video titles (videocassettes, laserdiscs, DVDs), 1,500 audiobooks, and 500 spoken arts audiocassettes and compact discs. Most of these materials may be checked out by patrons with a UR identification card. Media booking is available to faculty wishing to schedule video items in advance for classroom use. Listening and viewing facilities are also available in the MRC for students completing out-of-class assignments.
Parsons Music Library
Parsons Music Library holds over 16,000 scores, 9,100 CDs, and 9,000 books about all types of music. Our video collection consists of operas, musicals, concerts, instructional programs, and documentaries in both VHS and DVD formats. We also have a variety of audio and video playback equipment for onsite use, as well as five laptop computers that work with our wireless network.
William Taylor Muse Law Library
The William Taylor Muse Law Library is a spacious and attractive facility in which to study and conduct legal research. Housed in the Law School building, the library features four levels of space with ample seating on all floors. There are a number of group study rooms available for law student use in the library's basement. The online public catalog terminals provide accessibility to the collection.