Knowledge Centre


The BCIS Knowledge Centre is probably Sri Lanka’s single biggest collection of reference material relating to the field of International Relations. It boasts a curation that has been meticulously expanded since the centre’s inception in 1974.

The lending section of our library holds the most up-to-date selection of material relating to the study of IR; including works that have special relevance to Asia, South Asia, and Europe, where much of Sri Lanka’s international diplomacy is centred on.

Collections

The most unique aspect of the Knowledge Centre is our Reference Library, which holds not just rare and out-of-print editions and collections of academic journals, encyclopaedias, reports, and dictionaries, but, the personal collections of some of Sri Lanka’s finest statesmen and thought leaders.

Time-spanning and rare; nowhere else in Sri Lanka would you find a reference section of such magnitude and value.

Students enrolling with us, will have conditional yet unrestricted access to this wealth of knowledge, which considerably enriches their learning and research experiences; a fact that has been proven time and time again.

Library Services

Using our internally compiled database of researchers / research groups, we engage in a practice of insight sharing where the latest information relating to specific interest areas are shared with the relevant parties on a regular basis. The information itself is disseminated as abstracts, indices, content pages, quick references, and literature searches.

A proposed network of interconnected libraries; the International Studies Information Network (ISINET), will promote resource sharing between libraries by collecting and disseminating information and material through a cloud-based network. The planned implementation will make material collection highly efficient, allow widespread accessibility, and reduce content duplication. The project initiated by BCIS is expected to cover the whole of South Asia at its completion.

Our dedicated awareness service ensures that BCIS library members are kept aware about the availability of new material. Through a monthly acquisition list, we will inform members about the acquisitions that will soon become a part of the our reference offering, and as for other important material acquired out of the list, their availability will announced through new arrival lists. Additionally, the service also disseminates current information pertaining to BCIS via a mix of newsletters, new bulletins, and brochures.  

The BCIS Library will provide photocopies and computer printouts at concessionary rates to all library users, subject to copyright regulations of material.

Under this service, we offer members of the library the means to locate and source information in an organized manner and critically evaluate their origins prior to use.

Under this facility, we can lend books to other specialized and academic libraries on the basis of mutual cooperation. Academics and Researchers registered at these libraries can request for this facility.

Library access is open to

  • Student Membership
  • Alumni Membership
  • Corporate Membership
  • Scholars Membership