GENERAL INFORMATION
COLLECTION BUILDING
OPENING HOURS DEPARTMENTS









About the Library:



Birzeit University Library is an academic and research library, established with the creation of Birzeit School in 1924, and has continued to grow and develop since then, and in 1979 the library became a depository center of UNESCO publications, and in 2005 Birzeit University Library is considered a regional center for the publications of the World Bank. It was also adopted as a Minisis support center in Palestine since December 1998 and it is considered as a repository Center for The United Nations electronic publications since July 2016.
The Library applied modern technology in the provision of services, so it utilized the computerized KOHA system to manage its technical works and services, and the Oracle computerized system for circulation.
It also worked on the development of its own web page supervised by qualified employees and contains many Arab and foreign databases to enable researchers obtain information from a variety of resources.
The library also coordinates the technical issues of the University's Branch Libraries that belong to the various centers and institutes at the university, with the aim of unification and standardization to facilitate library patrons search process.
The Library provides its services to the university community, as well as the local community institutions, ministries, schools, etc ... It provides quality services such as:
  • Circulating tablets service.
  • Circulating textbooks for needy students service.
  • Students with special needs service.
  • External circulation service.
  • Hold meetings for training graduate students and seminars.
  • Freshmen students library sessions service.
Furthermore; BZU Main Library provides its services remotely to applicants from outside Palestine using available communication tools such as fax, e-mail, phone ... etc. through the Library services forms link available on the library web page.
For statistical and general information about the library you can visit Facts and figures page on the following link:
http://library.birzeit.edu/librarya/libfactsnum.htm






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LIBRARY OPENING HOURS:



The library is open all week days except Sundays and vacations as follows:-
Monday-Thursday, Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm (when extended to 5:00pm it will be announced at Ritaj)
Sunday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (if the library will open on Sunday it will be announced at Ritaj)






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BUILDING
The "Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim" building of the current library was constructed in 1985 through a generous contribution from Alghanim Industries in Kuwait. An Annex of three floors has been added to the library in 2005.
The library consists of Seven floors that are divided as follows:-
  • Ground Floor: consists of current and bound periodicals, archive of news papers, periodicals hall, microforms room, photocopying services, staff areas, the Collection Development Department(Acquisitions and Periodicals).
  • First Floor "A" (Main Entrance): consists of the Circulation desk, reference collection, thesis room, Users Services Department, reading area, online catalog, display room, English and Arabic cataloging, cloakroom.
  • First Floor "B" (Main Entrance): consists of Electronic Library lab., Aracheology Library books and group study area.
  • Second floor "A": Houses the book collection in science, medicine and agriculture from letter Q to S, reading hall, special Collections, Rare Books, Library administration and a meeting room.
  • Second floor "B": Houses the book collection in Fine Arts and Applied and Naval Sciences, bibliographies and library science from letter M to T and letter Z,reading area.
  • Third floor "A": Houses the book collection on Humanities and Social Sciences from letter A to L, conference and meeting room, research carrels, staff lounge, reading area.
  • Third floor "B": Houses the book collection on Languages and literature from letter P to PZ, reading area.

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COLLECTION
The books and material at the library are basically in Arabic or English with limited books or material in other languages. Approximately 60% of the collection is in English.


Collection Specifics:
  • Approximately 19744 books (Arabic & English)
  • 7998 periodical titles, of these 54 are current subscriptions (Arabic & English).
  • Microforms: microfilms & microfiche on a variety of materials including indexes and back issues of older major Arabic newspapers
  • Documents and special collections on Palestine affairs.
  • Ten years back issues for the four major local Arabic newspapers: al-Ayyam, al-Hayat al-Jadida, al-Quds.
  • Audio-visual aids: projector, DVD Player, television, video and microforms monitors.
  • The Main Library is a depository library for the UNESCO publications since 1979. The collection were cataloged and classified according to AACR2 cataloging rules and Library of Congress classification system; they are among other library collection. The Pamphlets are kept in a special room on the second floor, to use any of these please ask the special collection staff for assistance.

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DEPARTMENTS

The Library has four departments to help provide users with the needed services.

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