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Academic Resources

Libraries

Brooklyn College Library

The Brooklyn College Library provides integrated information support for instructional and research programs. The library is one of the most technologically advanced in the City University of New York as well as one of the largest in the New York City metropolitan area. Occupying the library’s 6.5 acres of space are more than 2,300 student seats, 21.5 miles of shelving, 22 group-study rooms, six computer classrooms and more than 900 computers for student and faculty access in a beautiful, light-filled setting conducive to study and research. Many seats are configured for computer use, and wireless network connectivity is widely available. Laptop loan programs exist for students and faculty alike.

The physical collections total nearly 1.6 million volumes, over 57,000 print and electronic journals, and about 25,000 audiovisual units (sound recordings, videotapes and DVDs). The library’s substantial digital collections include both electronic subscriptions and works of reference as well as nearly 170,000 electronic books. The library’s collections are represented in CUNY+, the online catalog of the City University of New York. The library also houses the Brooklyn College Archives, the New Media Center, and both academic and administrative computing.

Brooklyn College Library faculty members provide extensive in-person and online reference service to faculty and students. The collections support both graduate and undergraduate study in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. The library also holds important archival and special collections, among which are the Brooklyniana Collection and the Manuscripts Collection.

Morton ’59 and Angela Topfer Library Café, first floor, Whitehead Hall, 718.951.4672

The Library Café, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, features 80 PC- and Macintosh-networked computer stations. Each has the latest versions of multiple software packages and Internet browsers. Notebook computers, plug-ins for personal laptops, and high-quality laser printers (in color and black and white) are also available. There are group-study rooms and areas for individual study or reading. Modeled on the style of Internet cafés, the sleek, state-of-the-art facility, with large windows facing a landscaped courtyard providing natural light, is a popular site for computing, study and student interchange or merely having a sandwich, coffee or soda.

Walter W. Gerboth Music Library, second floor, Brooklyn College Library

The Music Library is named in memory of its principal founder and first librarian, teacher and scholar Walter W. Gerboth. It offers facilities for music study, research, listening and viewing. The collection comprises thousands of scores (including the “Douglas Hedwig Brass Ensemble & Trumpet Music Collection”) and books about music (classical, popular, world) and dance, many of which circulate for out-of-library use; sound- and video-recordings; journals (both in print and on microfilm) and other serials including critical, scholarly editions of composers’ “complete works” and “monumental editions.” Digital databases — of both text and audio files — accessible via the library’s homepage and the “Music” subject page, are an important component of the diverse, multimedia collections of the Music Library.

Costas Memorial Classics Library, 2405 Boylan Hall

The library contains a non-circulating collection of more than 4,000 volumes of Greek and Latin texts and books on classical topics donated by the late Professor Procope S. Costas and other members and friends of the Classics Department. The library is open to students and faculty members for research when classes are in session and the library is not in special use.

Meier Bernstein Art Library, 5300 Boylan Hall

Located in an attractive suite of rooms in the Art Department, the art library’s non-circulating collection of over 3,000 art books, as well as textbooks, periodicals, digital materials, and computers with internet access, may be used for reading, study, reviewing course materials, obtaining information about the art world, looking at pictures, browsing, or passing the time between classes. The library has sponsored artistsin-residence, lectures and studio critiques by guest artists, art historians, critics, museum curators, gallery directors, art magazine editors, and others, including famous people drawn from the New York art world. The library is named for the painter who established the Meier Bernstein Foundation to promote fine-arts education, from which it received most of its funding; additional support comes from the Art Department and its faculty, alumni, and friends..

Centers and Institutes

Africana Research Center, 3105 James Hall, 718.951.5597

Founded in 1969, the Africana Research Institute (ARI) is dedicated to promoting research and the dissemination of knowledge in the field of Africana Studies and related disciplines. The institute’s core mission is twofold: first, to augment the curriculum of the Department of Africana Studies by offering programs that speak to the study of blacks in Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States and in other areas of the African Diaspora. Secondly, the institute serves as a bridge between Brooklyn College and the African Diasporan community of New York through research, sponsored programs, and community engagement. Through research and dialogue we highlight the importance of the African Diasporan community in both historical and contemporary conversations as well as expand the intellectual and personal relevance of the Brooklyn College experience for our students. The institute is also the repository of a collection of books, a collection of African art, and documents memorializing the history of the Department of Africana Studies.

Archaeological Research Center, 0207 Ingersoll Hall, 718.951.4714

The center supports excavations abroad on sites dating from early Neolithic to medieval times. The center also supports and directs excavations in New York. Evidence is recovered and studied from these and other digs in which members and students participate. The center publishes its findings.

Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center (AREAC), 100 Ingersoll Hall Extension and 123 Ingersoll Hall Extension (office), 718.951.5631

The mission of Brooklyn College’s Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center is to foster basic and applied research and educational activities in (1) environmental assessment and monitoring, (2) the biology and behavior of marine and freshwater organisms, and (3) biotechnology. For the latter two areas, the current emphasis is on micro-algae (for bio-fuels), behavior of select invertebrates and fish, and aquaculture. AREAC’s greenhouse (fifth floor, Ingersoll Hall Extension) has an aquaponics system and lab space for other faculty and student research projects. AREAC seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the aquatic sciences through education and public outreach. AREAC welcomes faculty and students from the Brooklyn College community, from other CUNY campuses, and from other universities, to participate in research and educational opportunities at our facility.

Center for Child and Adult Development, 1107 James Hall, 718.951.5876

The School Psychologist Graduate Program of the School of Education sponsors the center. It serves the community and professionals in the fields of education, psychology and counseling by providing, through conferences and symposia, information on educational and mental health practices, and recent research relevant to child and adult development.

Center for Computer Music, 118 Roosevelt Hall Extension, 718.951.1418

The Brooklyn College Center for Computer Music (BC-CCM), part of the Conservatory of Music, is both a place and a community of artists and researchers, with a rich history dating back to the 1970s. The mission of the BC-CCM is to explore the creative possibilities of technology in relation to the creation of music, sound art, sound design and multimedia arts. These explorations include composition of new artistic work as well as research projects. Courses related to the BC-CCM cover techniques of music creation with digital tools and instruments, theories and use of sound processing and synthesis, design and creation of new music and multimedia performance instruments (both software and hardware), audio production, and history and aesthetics of electroacoustic music and sound art. The center includes a 15-seat technology lab, an advanced project lab and a recording studio. Software support includes ProTools, Max/MSP/Jitter, Ableton Live, OpenMusic, PWGL, Csound, Audacity, Melodyne, Spear, Sibelius, Arduino, Processing, the Adobe Creative Suite and more. Since 1990, the BC-CCM has hosted an International Electroacoustic Music Festival, with performances of music, video, film and live electronic works by artists from around the world each semester.

Center for the Study of Brooklyn, 3114 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5000, ext. 1529

The center’s mission is to connect and support on-campus faculty, students, departments, and programs with off campus partners to contribute to the public good and cultural richness of the borough of Brooklyn. CSB aims to support existing work by securing funding and in-kind donations, providing visibility, and connecting additional students, faculty, and local partners. The center also aims to further strengthen partnerships with public institutions throughout the borough to enhance student learning and career opportunities and provide community benefits.

Children’s Studies Center for Research, Policy and Public Service, 1304 James Hall, 718.951.3192

Established in 1997, the mission of the Children’s Studies Center is to promote a human rights and social justice approach to and participation in local, national and international research and policy efforts on behalf of children and youth. The center’s work complements the pedagogical approach to the study of children and youth in the Children and Youth Studies Program, which offers a children and youth studies major, concentration and minor. With a focus on research, policy and public service, the center works closely with key stakeholders in government, child advocacy agencies and community-based organizations to formulate and implement strategies that will improve the lives of children and young people

Children’s Studies Center for Research, Policy and Public Service, 3104 James Hall, 718.951.3192

Established in 1997, the mission of the Children’s Studies Center is to promote a human rights approach to and participation in local, national and international research and policy efforts on behalf of children and youth. The center’s work complements the pedagogical approach to the study of children and youth in the Children and Youth Studies Program, which offers a children and youth studies major, concentration and minor. With a focus on research, policy and public service, the center works closely with key stakeholders in government, child advocacy agencies and community-based organizations to formulate and implement strategies that will improve the lives of children and young people.

CUNY Haitian Studies Institute

The CUNY Haitian Studies Institute (CUNY-HSI), based at Brooklyn College, focuses its activities on three major areas:

• research and dissemination of primary and secondary data that advance scholarship on Haiti and people of Haitian origin;

• policy analyses that link scholarship to social actions impacting the lives of Haitian populations and other ethnic communities; and

• outreach and collaborations (including technical assistance) that foster sustainable partnerships with individuals and various agencies serving Haitian communities at the local, national, and international levels.

Additionally, CUNY-HSI helps to fulfill the intellectual mission and academic needs of a growing group of CUNYbased scholars, teaching faculty, and students desirous of expanding knowledge about the Haitian diaspora and Haiti as areas of legitimate research pathways. The institute’s research projects and outreach programs enhance the university’s strength in the area of Haitian studies in general, and draw greater attention to people of Haitian origin in New York State and the United States as a specific focus for research.

Environmental Sciences Analytical Center, 5135 Ingersoll Hall, 718.951.5000 ext. 2647

The Environmental Sciences Analytical Center (ESAC) is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for environmental research and education, and provides analytical services to a wide range of customers. Core facilities include a Perkin-Elmer Dynamic Reaction Cell Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), an Analytical JEOL 200-kV Transmitted Electron Microscope (TEM), and a Philips Multi-Purpose X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD). An environmental geochemistry laboratory is available for both research and teaching activities.

Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities, 2231 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5847

The Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities supports research, writing, teaching and public discussion in the humanities and human sciences at Brooklyn College. It seeks to promote faculty initiatives and to ensure excellence in scholarship in these areas. Toward that end, it presents public lectures, symposia and conferences as well as interdisciplinary faculty study and discussion groups; offers full-year research fellowships in the humanities to Brooklyn College faculty; collaborates with several undergraduate honors programs; and brings leading scholars to campus.

H. Wiley Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music, 415 Whitehead Hall, 718.951.5655

The H. Wiley Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music, part of the Conservatory of Music, is a research center dedicated to the study, preservation and presentation of a wide spectrum of American music, including jazz, popular, folk and art music. It sponsors conferences, symposia and concerts. In recent years, it has focused on contemporary composers in the greater New York area and on musical traditions of immigrant communities surrounding the college. The institute has published more than 30 monographs on various topics in American music as well as bibliographies, discographies and a semiannual newsletter. Its research collections, including books, periodicals, scores and recordings, are open to students and scholars by appointment.

María E. Sánchez Center for Latino Studies, 1204 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5561

The center, an extension of the Department of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies, serves students, faculty and the community by stimulating interest in Puerto Rican and Latino affairs. It sponsors conferences, workshops, lectures, seminars, internships, undergraduate research assistantships and non-credit courses. It encourages curricular development and research on topics related to the Latino experience and fosters educational exhibits as well as artistic and cultural expression. It maintains a facility for special collections, publications and research.

Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts

Founded in 1978, the Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts offers outstanding instruction in music, theater, and dance. The foundation of the Preparatory Center’s activities is its highly qualified faculty of professional artist-teachers. In addition to an established reputation as a teacher, each faculty member has distinguished performing credentials

Roberta S. Matthews Center for Teaching and Learning, 2420 Boylan Hall,718.951.5211

The mission of the Brooklyn College Roberta S. Matthews Center for Teaching and Learning is to foster an outstanding educational experience for all students by providing faculty with resources for effective teaching and learning. As a forum for the thoughtful and respectful exchange of ideas and practices, the Center for Teaching and Learning encourages high-impact learning and active engagement with students. It supports curricular development, pedagogical innovation, program improvement, planning, assessment, and a campus wide culture focused on excellence in teaching, through an emphasis on self-reflection among the teaching faculty.

Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, hosted by Brooklyn College, is a top-tier research center that promotes the understanding of resilience in the urban ecosystem and adjacent communities. The institute, a partnership among academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and community groups, performs the following functions:

  • Conducts research to:

  • understand the temporal nature and robustness of the resilience of Jamaica Bay, New York Harbor, Hudson Raritan Estuary, and Gateway National Recreation Area;

  • develop models for studying the fundamental nature of resilient systems, and;

  • determine how best to manage ecosystems to ensure resilience and sustainability;

  • Provides technical assistance and guidance to the institute’s governmental partners, including the National Park Service, New York City Parks, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection; and

  • Serves as a center for education and the dissemination of knowledge about processes that affect resilience and contribute to the changes in the urban ecosystem.

Shirley Chisholm Center for Research on Women, 1207 Ingersoll Hall, P: 718.951.5640

The mission of the center is twofold. It will promote research on women by initiating projects and programs on campus that support the work of faculty, encourage student learning, and provide information and resources to the wider Brooklyn community. It will also aim to uphold and preserve the legacy of the late Shirley Chisholm, a distinguished alumna of Brooklyn College, who served in the U.S. Congress and was the first African American woman to seek the presidency