The service of Jan-Moscov Library System began since its establishment as a technical school in 1963 under the former Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which finally grew to Bahir Dar University in 2000. Bahir Dar Institute of Technology provides this service at a modern technologically enriched complex building by assigning a historic name. i.e. Jan-Moscov Library. The library was named Jan-Moscov by coining the name the institute was called earlier its establishment by the surrounding residents (Moscov School) and the name of the country's leader at that time (Emperor Haile Selassie or Jan Hoy). It is well-equipped to support and facilitate teaching, learning and research programmes of the Institute and well-organized into many sections including digital library, cataloguing, aqcuisition, circulation, binding, reference, periodicals and documentation sections. It includes well-equiped automated digital library that has a capacity to hold more than 150 students at a time. Additionally, students capacity improvement centers are also located inside the library like BiT Career Development Center (CDC) and English Language Improvement Center (ELiC) aimed at providing services for the students and the Institute community at large. The library also have laboratory facilities for aiding researchers with High Performance Computers capable of executing large amount of data efficiently. Since its establishment, the library supports the institute and as a whole the university to bring academic excellence through the provision of access to knowledge, information sources, and services that fits the needs of its diverse users.
Jan-Moscov Library acquires books, journals, theses and dissertations, electronic materials and other documents required for undergraduate and graduate level teaching and research. In carrying out this vision, the library will speed up its effort to attain, cope, and deliver information resources, both in electronic and printed formats. As more than a physical place, the Library will use state-of-the-art technology to provide information to users beyond its walls like:
- Digital Library Entrance System: used to facilitate students enterance to the digital library by assigning a specific active and free computer for a particular registered student. It aimed at replacing the old way of assigning computers for students via coupons.
- Voice Alarm System that can be used to give users of the library clear information about when to evacuate and what route to take in the event of an emergency like a fire by providing a voice message.
- Fire alarm system to detect and warn people through visual and audio appliances when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other emergencies are present. These alarms may be activated automatically from smoke detectors, and heat detectors or may also be activated via manual fire alarm activation devices such as manual call points or pull stations.
- Surveillance Camera System which offers library the security tools needed to protect large facilities and allows staff to monitor the library from office or reference desk.
