Welcome to the BCU Lausanne, a library with a vast collection
of books, journals, multimedia and electronic resources,
covering numerous domains from humanities to the exact
sciences. Open to the general public, it is both a lending
and a reference library and provides many study spaces in
each of its different sites.
This booklet focuses on the
BCU Lausanne, Riponne-Palais de Rumine site
In the city centre
The BCU Lausanne, Riponne-Palais de Rumine is located in the Rumine Palace building
on the Place de la Riponne and houses a collection aimed at the general public.
In addition to its large, stimulating encyclopedic collection which covers all subject
areas, it houses specialised services which directly relate to the Vaud canton, a noteworthy music department and the cultural events.
Anyone can come and consult
– books, dictionaries, encyclopedias
– daily newspapers and back copies, periodicals, magazines
– microfilms
– all the items in the public area and from the closed shelves
– CDs and DVDs which may be listened to or watched within the library
The university site
Dorigny-Unithèque Library
Its collections cover all specific subject areas of humanities and all historical periods. Its
on-site open shelves collection is one of the most important in Europe. The library
houses several specialised departments: manuscripts, rare books collection and multimedia (available for reference only).
Dorigny-Internef Library
This library groups together books and periodicals of use to teaching staff and students
within the Law and the HEC faculties.
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One library, two sites
Meeting your needs: how to use the library
Are you looking for a specific item or piece of information?
Would you like to study in the library?
How to join the library
Joining the library enables you to borrow books and other items. To get your free membership you should:
– be aged 14 years or over
– be resident or working/studying in Switzerland
– bring a piece of identification delivered by the Swiss authorities, valid for at least a further three months at the time of joining.
Lending services
Do I have to pay to borrow items? No, the loan service is free. How many items can I borrow?
You can borrow up to 15 items at any one time (of which a maximum of 4 DVDs/ Videos,
4 CD Roms, 4 language learning programmes and 4 spoken word CDs) along with 8 CDs.
How long can I borrow items for? 28 days for a book, a language learning programme,
spoken word items, a periodical or a CD and 14 days for a DVD/ Video or a CD Rom. Can
I renew items? You can renew items for up to two more loan periods provided they have
not been reserved by another user. What happens if my items are overdue? Starting the
day following the return date, a fine of 20 ct. per day/per overdue item will be charged.
Can I reserve items? You can reserve an item currently on loan. Once the requested item
has been returned to the BCU, you are informed that it is available for collection. This
service is free of charge.
Online desk – distance operated functions
You can access the library catalogue which is available in French, German and English by
clicking on http://opac.rero.ch/gateway?skin=vd.
You can also:
– consult and update your library record
– make lending requests
– reserve items or extend the loan period
– request an interlibrary loan
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What can you find in the public area ?
If you are least 14 years old, you can use the BCU library for study or leisure. The up to date
collection is of general interest and is composed of books, audiovisual and sound items.
The Agora area
You can find the following items in the Agora area: recent acquisitions classified by interest (Fine Arts, Drama, Medicine, Sciences, Literature, etc.), DVDs, audio CDs in the
Sound Library (Phonothèque), classified by genre, Classical Music, Jazz, World Music,
Film Soundtracks, etc., documentation relating to the Vaud canton in the alcoves which
run along the walls, temporary exhibitions on diverse themes.
The Reading Room area
You can access numerous print and electronic resources in the Newspaper and magazine
reading room.
You can find the following items above the Reading Room: musicology (including recent
acquisitions, DVDs and CD Roms), music scores in the room adjoining the musicology
section.
There is much more to the library than what you can actually see in the public area !
Most of the items on the closed shelves can also be borrowed. That adds up to more than
300,000 books and periodicals. Large print books, Francophone African literature and
spoken word CDs are held in this area.
You can view the full collection by using the online catalogue
http://opac.rero.ch/gateway?skin=vd which is available in French, German or English.
At the BCU Lausanne, Riponne-Palais de Rumine you will find
– 222 study spaces (reading rooms, galleries)
– wireless connection in all public areas (“public-bcu”)
– 8 computers for catalogue browsing,12 with internet and audiovisual access, and 4 with
software for office work
– 2 photocopiers and printers
– cafeteria nearby
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The public collections
Would you like to improve your French ?
Why not learn another language ?
– Choose from the hundreds of language learning programmes available, mostly for
European languages including Albanian, Croat, Spanish, French as a Foreign Language,
Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian. There are also languages from other
parts of the world (Chinese, Turkish, Vietnamese, Swahili). Take your choice between
a CD Rom, compact disc or audio cassette.
– You can consult the bilingual dictionaries in the Reading Room.
– You can read foreign newspapers and magazines such as Die Weltwoche, the Week,
El PaÍs, The Times and many more.
– On the computers located in the Newspaper and magazine reading room you can
access current issues of 1,700 newspapers in more than 50 languages from around the
world.
– Borrow easy readings in French, German, Italian, Spanish and English.
– Explore recently published novels and short stories in English, Italian, German and
Portuguese.
– Borrow DVDs: fiction, recently released films, cinema of the South, musicals and documentaries.
If you cannot find what you are looking for ask a librarian:
– in the library (Information desk)
– by email at the following address info-riponne @ bcu.unil.ch
BCU Lausanne, Riponne-Palais de Rumine
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Are you looking for information about the Vaud canton ?
Vaud documentation area
You can find information relating to the Vaud canton, in all subject areas, from Prehistory
right up to the current period in the Vaud documentation area.
You can consult or borrow more than 10,000 recent items: printed works, bulletins,
DVDs, compact discs, CD Roms, video cassettes, with many more items available in the
closed stacks.
All deal with the Vaud canton in very diverse forms: special edition anniversary books
from local societies, historical works, regional monographs about local areas, maps and
guides, artists’ descriptive catalogues, doctoral theses and academic research papers,
filmed profiles.
Discover various websites relating to the Vaud canton by clicking on: www.bcu-lausanne.ch
then “Collection vaudoise” and “Liens vaudois”.
The Legal Deposit
The legal deposit collects all material printed or published in the Vaud canton, which
currently amounts to more than 60,000 items (accumulated after the law of 1938). This
law covers books, brochures and all types of periodicals.
These materials are catalogued and archived for long term preservation but are available
for consultation and may be borrowed upon request.
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The special collections
Are you interested in music ?
The Phonothèque / Sound library
The sound library contains a vast selection of CDs ranging from classical music from the
Middle Ages right up to contemporary sounds, along with jazz, world music, film soundtracks and French songs. More than 20,000 audio CDs are classified by genre in the public area. Part of the collection (10,000 CDs) is stocked in the closed shelves.
How many items can I borrow? You can borrow up to 8 CDs at any one time for a period of
28 days, which can be renewed for up to two more loan periods.
The musicology and music scores section
In the musicology and music scores section you will find the full range of musical production from Renaissance music to contemporary composition. If you study music you will
find a large selection of books, journals and multimedia documentation (32,000 documents
in total, of which 11,000 can be accessed directly in the Musicology Gallery).
In the score display room you can access 10,000 of the 32,000 music scores the library
holds. If you enjoy watching and listening to great works, take a look at the many audiovisual documents (1,000 DVDs and VHS).
This section contributes to the richness of a local musical heritage by including scores
composed within the Vaud canton. It also highlights the development of “non-classical”
collections which include jazz and pop music collections as well as pedagogical and
school material aimed at children and teenagers.
The music archive department
The music archive department groups together a hundred named collections containing
more than 15,000 individual items which clearly document manuscript musical and
musicographic creation within the Vaud canton and French speaking Switzerland from
1,850 onwards.
BCU Lausanne, Riponne-Palais de Rumine
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BCU Lausanne, Riponne-Palais de Rumine
Opening hours
How to reach the library
Circulation desk
Monday to Wednesday: 10–18
Thursday: 14–20
Friday: 10–18
Saturday: 9–12
Nearest car park
Place de la Riponne
Information desk
Monday to Wednesday: 10–18
Thursday: 14–20
Friday: 10–18
Saturday: 9–12
Bus/Metro
M2: Riponne – M. Béjart stop
No 8: Riponne stop
Nos 1 and 2: Rue Neuve stop
No 16: Pierre Viret stop
Nos 4, 6, 7 and 9: Bel-Air stop
Nos 22 and 60: Tunnel stop
Reading rooms and public area
Monday to Friday: 8–22
Saturday: 8–17
Reduced opening hours during the Summer vacation
Address
Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire – Lausanne
Riponne-Palais de Rumine
Place de la Riponne 6, CP
CH-1014 Lausanne
Telephone
+41 21 316 78 80
+41 21 316 78 63 (information desk)
E-mail
info-riponne @ bcu.unil.ch (information desk)
pretriponne @ bcu.unil.ch (circulation desk)
Website
www.bcu-lausanne.ch
Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire – Lausanne
www.bcu-lausanne.ch
D23 Juillet 2012