Of all the Emory University alumni benefits, physical and virtual access to the Emory Libraries remains one of the favorites for Emory alumni.

“Alumni are excited to be able to continue using most of the library’s resources, including checkout privileges,” says Rich McNeal, library service desk coordinator at the Robert W. Woodruff Library. “I’ve seen alumni use our resources both for leisure reading and for professional growth or research. There are some alumni I know who depend on checkout privileges for research and scholarship in their area of expertise.”

Now that members of Emory's Class of 2016 are newly minted alumni, here are some details about alumni library privileges they will need to know.

First, new Emory graduates should register with the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) online community, so they can log in with their new alumni ID to enjoy all the benefits.

“Some alumni don’t realize this resource of library privileges is here, even those who have been alumni for many years,” says Stacey Gall, alumni services manager at the Emory Alumni Association. “They’re pleasantly surprised.”

With an EAA alumni card, Emory alumni in the Atlanta area can use the Woodruff Library when they are on campus to check out books (with lifetime borrowing privileges that require yearly renewal). Staff at the service desk can log in alumni, which allows them to access specific software in the Learning Commons, as well as access most databases and online resources. Subject librarians are also available to alumni if they need a consultation on research in a specific discipline or subject area. 

Alumni can also conduct research in the Pitts Theology Library and the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library. For other Emory Libraries, alumni should contact those libraries for more information, Gall says.

For Emory alumni who will be moving away from Atlanta, the EAA provides access to several of the databases, including the latest full-text information in many areas of academic, business and health-related fields.

Alumni who have trouble accessing a database should contact Stacey Gall at the EAA at sgall@emory.edu.