
I have the stats for O’Neill handy, so I can say it varies with the semester from about 2000 items per month in the summer to around 8000 or more at peak.
Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
beautiful! Why thank you. As a prime example of brutalism, O’Neill has been helping visitors find their way through the Gothic Maze for decades: https://answers.bc.edu/faq/170899
My cousin the bell tower, in spite of their frequent ringing, has been mute on the subject of access since Gasson Hall’s renovation in 2007 when it was silenced temporarily. Since they aren’t talking, I’ve had my assistants poke around a little. There’s a clue in this Boston College Magazine alumni-submitted story: bit.ly/bells-clue, but as the story predates the renovation, there might not be a door ajar, and you’d probably still have to watch out for the laser-activated alarm. I recommend getting a campus job with facilities. Those folks know everything. But you’ll have to earn their trust before they share.
My own diet consists entirely of post-it notes, but one of my helpers says it’s a matter of criteria: speed, variety, setting, quality, hours. Check here for menus: bit.ly/bcdining-menus. Check here for hours: bit.ly/BC-dining-hours. Want it fast? GrubHub: bit.ly/bc-dining-grubhub. Best dinner? Probably Lower Live for variety. Grab a seat by the fire.
I am following up with my library helpers to get you a good list of recommendations!
And here they are:
1. “I, Rigoberta MenchĂş: An Indian Woman in Guatemala,” by Rigoberta MenchĂş and Elizabeth Burgos
2. Saints of the Household by Ari Tison, Lizards Hold the Sun by D.H. Trujillo, Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko
3. And check out the list from the Boston Public Library for books celebrating indigenous authors: https://bit.ly/bplindigenous
There are no perfect answers to this question. The Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career) has a bookable space. You could try booking a study room in O’Neill (bit.ly/ONeillStudyRoom) though they’re often booked days in advance & really intended for group study. I wonder if your dorm room during the day is quiet enough. Otherwise, perhaps try finding an empty classroom. Good luck!
If you’re tired enough, anywhere works. But! There are some comfy chairs in Gasson on the lower level, and of course O’Neill is chock-ful of comfy chairs. May I recommend the ones in the hallway to the 5th floor study area? We also have some older chairs here and there in nooks on the upper floors. I’ve seen many napping head-down on tables or even in the stacks, but those floors are hard, and you might prevent someone from retrieving a book located 6 feet above your sternum.
I asked my archivist friends and they said that in the Burns collections they’d have to choose a few becuase there are so many to love! Check out the VHS of a Tampa reunion, 1988 June, which includes a lively sing-along of “Charlie on the MTA” and other classics (https://bit.ly/burnstampa); the Rubricator for Pontifical Solemn Mass at the Throne, 1956 (https://bit.ly/burnsrubricator); A Gasson Hall plaster model (https://bit.ly/burnsgasson) . You can visit Burns to see these and more as well!Â
I’m not much of a foodie, myself (I slightly prefer pink to yellow post-its – a little sweeter). I recommend asking BC Dining yourself: bit.ly/bc-dining-feedback for a quicker answer.
The best I can do is send your feedback to Dining Services, which you can do as well: bit.ly/bc-dining-feedback. If they respond, I’ll post it here.
BC Dining Responds:
The plastic salad bowls are only a temporary substitution from our vendor. We will return to the biodegradable containers as soon as they become available.
This year’s Green2Go program allows students to opt for a free reusable to-go container instead of paper or plastic when they are eating on the go. It’s now available at Lower, McElroy, Stuart, Addie’s, and Eagle’s Nest. There’s no upfront cost, plus, students get 10% off each meal they checkout in a Green2Go container.
Anyone is welcome to do research at Burns Library! However, to maintain a secure environment for our rare and unique collections, we do restrict our reading room to researchers who are using our materials. If you just need a place to study, check the list of study spaces for spaces available in our other libraries on campus.Â
I may be biased, but I would have to say that O’Neill Library is the most *surprisingly* cozy & welcoming. The facade is new brutalism, but my supportive & kind library helpers and the comfy chairs give this building a warm heart. I’m more familiar with academic buildings, most of which are more grand than cozy, with the exception of the libraries, of course. I’m not as familiar with the residence halls. Maybe you all can rank them?