Community engagement is an important part of Tulane’s vibrant culture, and part of its mission is to foster community-building initiatives. In 2006, the University became the first major research university in the country to integrate public service into its core curriculum. Sharing Tulane University Libraries’ resources, representing the largest research collections in the Gulf South, is another valuable way that Tulane directly serves its neighbors locally and throughout Louisiana.
Students and faculty at neighboring colleges and universities may visit and use Tulane’s main Howard-Tilton Memorial Library and its adjacent Tulane University Libraries Special Collections. These onsite visitors—often affiliated with other higher education institutions within the City of New Orleans—may borrow books from Howard Tilton's general collections through longstanding reciprocal borrowing agreements organized through LOUIS, the Louisiana Library Network Consortium, of which Tulane is a member.
To take advantage of reciprocal borrowing, visiting users must obtain a LOUIS Borrowing Card issued by their home library and, if asked, provide a picture ID onsite to verify they are the cardholder. This chart shows which public and private institutions in Louisiana participate in reciprocal borrowing and at what level. In addition, Tulane has a special reciprocal agreement called TU/LU with Loyola University’s Monroe Library, allowing Loyola students to borrow books at Howard-Tilton using a TU/LU card. Also, license restrictions on TUL’s online resources generally do not apply to visitors within the Howard-Tilton building when using the library’s Look It Up workstations.
Students and faculty from other institutions can borrow from Tulane’s circulating library collections through interlibrary loans at their home libraries as well.
In addition, the Latin American Library on the 4th floor of Howard-Tilton also serves researchers visiting from throughout the region and internationally. Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC), located in Jones Hall across from Tulane’s Howard-Tilton library uptown, is open to the public. All visiting researchers are welcome to use TUSC's rare and unique collections during regular hours and by appointment.
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library's night access is limited during regular semester hours. After 7:30 pm, access is restricted to active Tulane affiliates with a Tulane ID.