The mission of the library is to serve the research and reading needs of Bellarmine students and faculty. Both faculty and students take advantage of the expansive collection of print, electronic and audio-visual media for curricular and personal interests.
The Mathewson Library is a major center of student activity on Bellarmine's campus. Students gather there before and after school, during break, lunch, and free periods. Classes meet in the library to conduct research or use the state-of-the-art audio visual equipment in Andrade Theater or the Library Classroom. The library is a place to read in the soft seating area, study in the individual study carrels, work together at the large tables, or write, design or research using 48 desktop computers. A wireless connection to the Bellarmine network allows laptop use from any point in the Library.
Andrade Theater, the Library Classroom, and the Library Conference Room allow for a versatile learning experience. Andrade Theater has 82 permanent seats and is often used for guest speakers, group and individual student presentations and other activities. The Library Classroom is used to introduce students to research assignments before they begin exploring library print and electronic resources. To aid in this process, it is equipped with a cart of laptops, sufficient in quantity to accommodate each student of any given class period.