Visiting Scholars, Guests & Alumni

People unaffiliated with BGSU, including visitors and members of the public, are welcome to visit Jerome Library and use our services and collections within the building whenever we are open. This includes our electronic resources and Special Collections.

Students in the College Credit Plus program should refer to information for students.

Students in the Sage program receive a library patron number that can be used to check out BGSU and OhioLINK materials but do not have off campus access to databases and ejournals.

Additional information is listed below.

Borrowing

Courtesy Cards

Any BGSU alumnus, member of the Friends of the University Libraries, or member of the President's Club is eligible for a free courtesy card for borrowing privileges at the University Libraries. Free cards are also available for any visitor wishing to borrow Government Documents. Any Ohio resident who is not in one of those categories may purchase a courtesy card for $25.00 per year. Please ask at the circulation desk of Jerome or Firelands Libraries for an application. If applicant is under 18, the application must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Courtesy card patrons may borrow materials from the BGSU Jerome Library and Firelands Library main stacks, Music Library open stacks, Curriculum Resource Center open stacks, and government documents collections. Not all special collections materials that circulate are available to courtesy card holders.

Courtesy card holders may borrow up to five OhioLINK or SearchOhio items at a time. This includes books on their way from the lender to BGSU, books you have checked out, and books on their way from BGSU back to the lender.

Courtesy card holders cannot log in to online resources (ebooks, e-journals and databases) from off-campus.

Courtesy card and photo ID must be presented at time of application and every time materials are borrowed.

Courtesy card holders can log in to check the status of holds and renew items.

Enter the number beginning with R on your card in the barcode field and the password you have chosen. If you do not have a password, contact the circulation desk for instructions.

To use the "request" feature in the BGSU catalog, start your search at this link: BGSU Catalog

Patrons from other OhioLINK institutions may borrow directly from the University Libraries with their current home institution ID and a valid record in their home library.

Items borrowed from BGSU directly are subject to the same loan periods and restrictions as OhioLINK items borrowed via online requesting.

You may also request items from any OhioLINK institution and have them delivered to BGSU Jerome or Firelands Library rather than your home library. Come to the circulation desk with your ID to pick them up.

For renewals and more information, contact your home library.

Have a question? Contact the Circulation Desk at 419-372-2051 or email circdesk@libanswers.bgsu.edu.

University Libraries recognizes that members of BGSU may elect to use a name other than their legal name.  Students, faculty, staff, and card-holding guests can contact the Director of Access Services, Andrea Boehme (andboeh@bgsu.edu) to indicate their chosen name and/or pronouns.  The following choices are permissible: using your middle name, shortening your name (ex. Jim instead of James), using an anglicized name, or using a name that better fits your gender identity.

Your chosen name and/or pronouns will be added to your library account so that circulation employees know to use it when communicating with you.  Automatic notifications will still reflect the legal name on record with the University.  Library employees who do not have access to your library account will not be able to see your chosen name. The Director of Access Services has the right to not accept or remove a chosen name if it is not permissible.

Computers, Wifi, & Printing

Computer access for guests is available at the Macintosh computers in the first floor lobby of Jerome Library.

Guest options for accessing the wireless network are available from BGSU Information Technology Services.

Guests on Jerome Library computers or the BGSU wifi network can access most library databases, ebooks and ejournals.

Printing costs for guests:

  • $0.10 per side for black and white
  • $0.25 per side for color

Guests (without BG usernames and passwords) must buy a guest copy card and add money to it. This can be done at the black machine across from the circulation desk under the "BG1 Account Management Center" sign. Guest copy cards cost $2.00, which does not include any money for printing. Extra money must be loaded onto the copy card.

Guest printing can be done ONLY from the iMac computers scattered around the lobby area. No login is required to use these computers. To print from these machines, simply click "Print" or "command + P" and select one of the Guest printers.

For printouts:

  • The default printer for is BG-Print-LPR.
  • Default is black & white. Color printouts can be made by changing the options in the print dialog.
  • After you click "Print" you will be prompted for a username and password. The username is the 15-digit number on the back of your copy card. The password is "guest."
  • Go to any printer in the main computing area.
  • Release your print job by swiping your guest card on the card reader located on the printer.

If you have any questions or need any help with the printing process, please ask one of the friendly folks at the ITS Desk.

Please direct any questions about printing costs or allocations to Campus ITS.

Special Collections

All of our Special Collections are open to the public, regardless of affiliation with BGSU. Visit each collection’s webpage to more about holdings and their policies and procedures.

Directions & Parking

From I-75:
Exit I-75 at the Bowling Green exit 181; go west on Wooster (toward the town). Turn right on Mercer Rd. Turn left on Ridge and proceed for a couple of blocks. The library is the 9-story building on the left with murals on the east and west sides. There is a parking lot (Lot N) adjacent to the library building with access from Ridge St.

From Route 25:
Follow Rt. 25 into Bowling Green; turn east on Wooster St. Follow Wooster St. to Mercer Rd.; turn left. Take the first left (Ridge St.). The library is the 9-story building on the left with murals on the east and west sides.

Paid parking by the hour is available in Lot N, immediately north of the library. Accessible parking is available. The rate is $0.25 per 15 minutes. Use the kiosk to pay for a parking pass and leave the pass on your dashboard.

A long-term parking pass can be purchased at the Visitor Information Center. A daily permit is $3 and a weekly permit is $10.

Access information on parking for visitors.

For Alumni

Visit our guide called "I've Graduated: Now What?" to learn how to continue your research after you are no longer a student.

Updated: 08/17/2023 10:52AM