Places to Study

Boston University Libraries:

http://www.bu.edu/library

On the BU Libraries homepage you’ll find a listing of all of the many BU libraries, locations and hours.

Other spots around BUSM and the BU Charles River Campus:

  • McNary Learning Center, BUSM, 80 E. Concord St., Bottom Floor of R Building
  • Robinson Learning Center, BUSM, 2nd floor
  • George Sherman Union (GSU), BU Charles River Campus, 775 Commonwealth Ave.
  • BU School of Management (SMG), http://management.bu.edu

Other Libraries:

Boston Library Consortium – http://www.blc.org/index.html

Boston University is a member of the Boston Library Consortium (BLC). The BLC consists of a number of public and private libraries that offer reciprocal lending privileges to the patrons of each. Students must have a valid BLC card to use member libraries’ facilities and materials.

Not all of the BLC libraries require you to have a BLC card to enter. BLC cards are available at the Alumni Medical Library Reference Desk, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Be sure to bring a copy of your valid Boston University identification card when applying for a consortium card. (NOTE: Harvard University Countway Medical Library is NOT a part of the Boston Library Consortium.)

For a listing of other BLC members to extend your range of study locations, check out http://www.blc.org/list_of_members.html.

Favorite BLC Libraries Include:

Countway Library of Medicine
10 Shattuck Street

http://www.countway.med.harvard.edu

In addition to serving the greater Harvard scientific community, Countway provides the medical students and faculty at Harvard, BU, U Mass, Tufts, and the Mass Med Society. This agreement, termed the Boston Medical Library, allows us to have access to about everything we need in one place. Countway has a ton of online resources that allow you to print directly from Medline when you are searching from one of Countway’s computers. You have to buy your own copy card to do so, but this perk can make it well worth the trip over. Don’t forget to bring your BU or Mass Med ID as the library is closed to the public.

Other places with wireless and sometimes coffee:

  • Espresso Royale (one near Northeastern and one on Comm. Ave. off the BU Central T-stop on the Green B-line)
  • Starbucks on Tremont
  • Francesca’s on Tremont
  • Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, (617) 536-5400 www.bpl.org -The Bates Hall is always filled with diligent students. There is free wireless internet access with or without a library card. Library cards are also free with proof of residency. BPL closes at 9PM M-TH, 5PM F-Sa, and is closed on Sundays. Accessbile by MBTA via the 10 bus to Copley or the Green Line (Copley Stop)
  • Harvard Medical School (Longwood Area) – Open to BUSM students with BU student ID. Great study areas and free wireless. Accessible by MBTA via the 8 bus.
  • Tufts Medical School (Washington St.) – Their library is beautiful and newly renovated. Lots of small study rooms and larger study tables.
  • Haley House Cafe in Dudley Square- free wireless, free coffee refills and wholesome soul food. Why would you ever leave? The only downside is that it closes at 4pm.
  • Ula Cafe in the Sam Adams Brewery Building in Jamaica Plain- cozy spot with good sandwiches, although limited outlets to discourage laptop users from stealing free wireless for hours on end.
  • 1369 Coffee House in Central Square and Inman Square Cambridge- nose up to those pretentious Hahvard philosophy types with tiny tables that won’t leave much room for your binders, texts, and notecards. Open late, but they charge for wireless
  • Diesel Cafe in Davis Square, Somerville- very eclectic clientle. Pool table and games for study breaks, but wireless comes at a cost.
  • Block 11 in Union Square Somerville- by the same owners of Diesel, so similar menu and vibe. Big space that fills up, but lots of room to study.