Yes, most universities and colleges welcome the public! If you qualify for a community library card (this usually this means that you can prove that you are a resident of the same community, province or state as the library is situated in) they will likely even give you a library card! These libraries primary purpose is to provide information to students so, there are usually some restrictions….
Is there a library in your neighborhood that you would like to see listed here? If so, please send me a note and let’s see what we can do about making this a really good and usable list!
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Annamalai University – Annāmalainagar, India. The library catalogue is available online to the public but further access is unclear. This library is one of several university libraries that receives a complete World Bank publications collection every year. More information is here.
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Bentley University Library – Waltham, Massachusetts. Community borrowing privileges are available. Please check with the library to find out the specific requirements.
Boston University Libraries – There are many libraries on this campus however, there does not appear to be community access. You can search the holdings with the link and there is a good possibility that interlibrary loans may be available through other university and community college libraries.
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Cambridge University Library – Private and business access to this library is for research only and your application must be approved. Access, when granted, is free for 1 week per year or, there is a small fee for a longer period of access to the collections.
College of Charleston. Charleston, South Carolina – You can search for books here but it appears that for the public to borrow you might need to ask for an “interlibrary loan” from a library (in your neighborhood that will both lend to the public and has a reciprocal borrowing service with this library.
Columbia University Library – New York, NY. Restrictions are in place but researchers and visitors are allowed some access to this library. The link will take you to the About page.
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Georgia Institute of Technology – Research services are available, for a fee, to the general public and businesses. Books are available for loan to other libraries. (If they have a book that you want to look at, try asking to borrow it through your local public library…)
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Harvard Libraries – Cambridge, Massachusetts. There are more than 70 libraries affiliated with Harvard University. Although browsing the shelves and borrowing directly is reserved for students, lecturers and researchers, it may be possible to arrange interlibrary loans through a third party university or college library in your community.
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Indian School of Mines – Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. This library houses a collection of more than 80,000 books which are available through online public access. Details are here.
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Kent State University – Community borrowing is encouraged although there are charges for the use of some resources such as inter-library loans. Apply at the Circulation Desk.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University Libraries – Cloverdale, Langley, Richmond and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Four campuses, four libraries, helpful research librarians, guest computers…. The information for visitors and community borrowing is here and you can search the shelves online, here.
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Louisiana State University – I can’t find public access here but, their title/author search does work without needing to log in….
Lynn University Library – Boca Raton, Florida. It doesn’t look like there is public access but there is interlibrary loans and you can search the database.
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Michigan State University – East Lansing, Michigan. The link will take you to a Visitors page. From there you can go to the main library and search the index. It looks like you may have to find a library with reciprocal borrowing to use the interlibrary loans service.
Mississippi State University – The public can borrow books for free here by showing a valid Public Library Card or, you made need to apply for a courtesy card.
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Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio. You can search the catalogues for books, articles, journals and media but I cannot find anything on community access. As for most university libraries, holding may be available through an interlibrary loan. Check with your local library…
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Toronto Public Library – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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University of British Columbia – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Walter C. Koerner Library at UBC is a wonderful place, even if you just want to visit and take a stroll. There are not only books and journals, there are special collections that include artwork. A community library card is not free at UBC, there is a charge. The information for visitors and community borrowing is here and you can search the shelves online, here.
University of Chicago – Chicago, Illinois.
Only members of the public with a “legitimate research request” are granted access to the libraries at this university. There is more information here.
University of Queensland – Sydney, Australia.
Everyone is welcome to visit and to use the collections on site. More information is available here.
University of Surrey – Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
Day and renewable passes are available but, these are for reference use only and have no borrowing privileges. More information is here.
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Vassar College – New York. The library is open to visitors between semesters and throughout the summer. Students in other colleges & universities and the families of students may be eligible for more privileges by applying to the research librarian.
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