The Libraries of Boston College have exercised research library leadership on campus and nationally. Some initiatives worth noting include the following:

• New subject headings are submitted to the Library of Congress through their Subject Authority Cooperative Program (SACO)
• Records in the OCLC national database are improved through the OCLC Enhance program.
• Internet resources are being made accessible through the OCLC Cooperative Online Resource Catalog program.
• Catalog records were prepared for the 547-title "GRAIL collection" (Galway Resource for Anglo-Irish Literature) to be distributed as an OCLC Major Microform set.
• Charter membership in the ARL Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resource Coalition has facilitated discussion with faculty on their role in the changing system of scholarly communication, and has provided opportunities for the Libraries to contribute to that change. A private teleconference for the Council of Deans with Ann Okerson, leader of the New England Research Libraries, provided an important forum for senior administrative attention to issues of serials pricing and electronic publishing.
• Membership in the ARL/Educause Coalition for Networked Information has brought advances in networked services to the Libraries and allowed Boston College to demonstrate and shape the services of the American Museum Image Consortium through participation as one of twenty institutions selected as AMICO testbeds.
• The preservation program of the Libraries, with sophisticated conservation and preservation labs, has been a model of effective performance. The student intern initiative for repair and re-housing materials is a model for extending preservation capabilities.
• The Interlibrary Loan Department is perennially among the top four in the New England Library Network competition for New England/NELINET ILL Department of the Year. The award was conferred on the Boston College Libraries in 1990-1991 and in 1991-1992.