John J. Burns Library

John J. Burns Library The University’s special collections, including the University’s Archives, are housed at John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections.

The University’s special collections, including the University’s Archives, are housed in the John J. Burns Library, located in the Bapst Library Building, north entrance. Burns Library staff work with students and faculty to support learning and teaching at Boston College, offering access to unique primary sources through instruction sessions, exhibits, and programming. The Burns Library also serv

es the research needs of external scholars, hosting researchers from around the globe interested in using the collections.

Kicking off Pride with this 1987 advertisement for a Boston City Hall dance party! Who wants to let loose to Dean and t...
06/01/2026

Kicking off Pride with this 1987 advertisement for a Boston City Hall dance party! Who wants to let loose to Dean and the Weenies?

Bromfield Street Educational Foundation. Gay Community News. GCN, 1987

in 1779, Irish poet, lyricist, and political writer Thomas Moore was born in Dublin. Moore is perhaps best known for h...
05/28/2026

in 1779, Irish poet, lyricist, and political writer Thomas Moore was born in Dublin. Moore is perhaps best known for his poetry and lyrics, including “Irish Melodies” a series of lyrics that Moore wrote to accompany popular Irish tunes. One of the first Catholics admitted to Trinity College, Dublin, he wrote the satirical “Letter to the Students of Trinity College,” an appeal to his fellow students to opposed the coming Act of Union with England.

We hold original correspondence, engravings, and manuscripts related to Thomas Moore as well many of his published works. For more information, or to look at some of these books by and about Moore, contact us!

Our inner kids get a little scared sometimes.
05/22/2026

Our inner kids get a little scared sometimes.

We were saddened to learn of the passing of former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank. Frank started his political c...
05/20/2026

We were saddened to learn of the passing of former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank. Frank started his political career in 1968 at Boston City Hall. In 1972, he was elected to a Massachusetts State House Seat and in 1980 he was elected to Congress, where he represented Massachusetts’ Fourth Congressional District until 2013.

Frank was known for his advocacy for workers, civil rights, and financial reform - and also for his sense of humor. After taking this photo with fellow Massachusetts Congressman Tip O’Neill, he sent him a signed copy with a note.

Massachusetts-Barney Frank-Camouflage Helmet, 1984 - 1984, Box: 421, Folder: 33. Tip O'Neill congressional papers, CA-2009-001. John J. Burns Library.

rip anne boleyn you were a real oneBenger, E. Memoirs of the Life of Anne Boleyn, Queen of Henry VIII. 2d. ed., Printed ...
05/19/2026

rip anne boleyn you were a real one

Benger, E. Memoirs of the Life of Anne Boleyn, Queen of Henry VIII. 2d. ed., Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1821.

Happy Commencement, BC!This 1962 commencement photo shows how our campus has changed over the past half century, but wha...
05/18/2026

Happy Commencement, BC!

This 1962 commencement photo shows how our campus has changed over the past half century, but what hasn't changed is the joyful atmosphere on campus. Congrats to all the new grads!

Procession, 1962 - 1962, Box: 3, Folder: 30-32. Boston College Commencement materials, BC-1988-027. https://findingaids.bc.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/5889 John J. Burns Library.

Archives alert! The Francis Harvey papers are now available!Irish poet, playwright and fiction writer Francis Harvey pub...
05/15/2026

Archives alert! The Francis Harvey papers are now available!

Irish poet, playwright and fiction writer Francis Harvey published short stories and poetry as well as writing several plays broadcast by RTÉ and BBC. Harvey's love of Donegal, its people, and its landscape deeply influenced his writing as well as his environmental activism.
Harvey’s papers include extensive correspondence with contemporaries Gerald Dawe, John F. Deane, Madge Herron, Anthony Glavin, and Benedict Kiely as well as notes, drafts of his writings, diaries and more. We love these telegrams congratulating him on the performance of his play, “Farewell to Every White Cascade” on RTÉ.

Farewell to Every White Cascade related correspondence, 1958-1961, Box: 3, Folder: 31. Francis Harvey papers, MS-2018-051.

From “Fish, Factories, Futures: The Neponset River and US History” to “Plants and Power” to "Revolutionary Media,” we ha...
05/10/2026

From “Fish, Factories, Futures: The Neponset River and US History” to “Plants and Power” to "Revolutionary Media,” we have wrapped up a fabulous spring semester at Burns Library! Over the past 4 months, we hosted over 1100 students in 80 classes. We shared 16th century maps, astronomical playing cards, football game goal post fragments, and copies of BC’s Feminist Ghost newspaper.

We had a blast and we can’t wait to do it all over again in the fall. Contact us to schedule a class.

We're wishing all our students the best of luck on and final papers!Prints, 1950s-1970s, Boston College Office of Publ...
05/08/2026

We're wishing all our students the best of luck on and final papers!

Prints, 1950s-1970s, Boston College Office of Public Relations records, BC-1986-003. John J. Burns Library.

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140 Commonwealth Avenue, Bapst Building
Chestnut Hill, MA
02467

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+16175524861

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