Academic Resources

Together, the St. Olaf Libraries and Information and Instructional Technologies provide a variety of carefully selected resources (ranging from Luther's Grosse Katechismus to the World Wide Web) that seek to mirror the breadth and depth of the undergraduate curriculum. The partnership between the Libraries and Information and Instructional Technologies provides access to regional, national, and international networks, databases, and other sources of information. A strong system of libraries and computing center laboratories, and access to the campus network from residence halls and faculty offices ensure the availability of academic resources to the entire community.

St. Olaf's Libraries and Special Collections

The St. Olaf Libraries are distinguished by an instruction program which teaches students research methodologies and evaluation techniques applicable to a variety of disciplines. The instruction is used immediately as students work on assignments dealing with a world of rapidly proliferating information, and delivery systems, and will also provide a foundation for lifelong learning after they leave the College.

Twenty-five library faculty and staff and more than 100 students work to purchase, organize, and make available a rich blend of materials and access points; students are then taught how to access and evaluate and best utilize this material. The collections contain over 500,000 books and bound periodicals, and over 275,000 nonbook items (CDs, videos, sound recordings, software, microform, etc.), housed in three separate libraries: Rolvaag Memorial Library (the "main" library), Halvorson Music Library, and Glasoe Science Library. More than 1700 periodicals are received and the libraries are a partial depository for federal government publications. While the collections primarily provide the basic resources required for the undergraduate study as defined by the college curriculum, they have unusual strengths and emphases which reflect unique elements in the college's tradition. Therefore they are especially strong in the fields of religion, Scandinavian literature and history, mathematics, and music. St. Olaf is one of the few places where extensive materials can be found for the study of the culture and church life of Norwegian Americans.

In addition to the St. Olaf collections, the libraries also provide access to materials held across the state, the nation, and the world through their home-pages, the on-line catalog system, a variety of CD-ROM and online services, and the Internet. Strong consortial relationships ensure the availability of supplemental materials that enrich undergraduate study and research.

To teach students how to ask focused questions, and identify, retrieve and evaluate appropriate materials, librarians work with specific assignments in classes. Librarians also provide individualized instruction at reference desks -- Rolvaag (over 60 hours per week) and Science and Music as posted. The libraries are open 95 hours per week, when class is in session -- with extended hours late in the semester and during exams.

Kierkegaard Library:
The Howard and Edna Hong Kierkegaard Library, located within the Rolvaag Library Building, is one of the major research libraries in the world for the study of the thought of the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. The library was presented to St. Olaf College in 1976 by the Hongs, St. Olaf alumni and internationally noted Kierkegaard scholars and translators. Howard Hong is an professor emeritus of philosophy.

St. Olaf College Archives:
Located in the Rolvaag Library Building, the St. Olaf College Archives contain official records and publications, private papers, photographs, books, periodicals, audio and visual recordings, and museum artifacts that record and illustrate the history and life of the college. These materials provide historical information about the Board of Regents, the faculty, the student body, alumni, academic departments, the curriculum, administrative offices, campus services, college organizations, and campus activities. The mission of the archives is 1) to preserve materials that reflect the college's identity; 2) to make these materials available to scholars, students, alumni, and other interested researchers; and 3) to promote attention to the college through public history projects. The archives web page includes a search engine for the completed on-line index of the Manitou Messenger. The archives also provides work study opportunities for some students and a limited number of internships for majors in appropriate departments and programs.

The Norwegian-American Historical Association:
Housed in the Rolvaag Library Building, the Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) has been sheltered by St. Olaf since its founding in 1925. With an international membership of nearly 2,000, NAHA has two goals: to publish scholarly books on Norwegian-American history (90 books have been published so far) and to be a national center for research in Norwegian-American history by collecting and maintaining printed and manuscript materials produced by Norwegian-Americans or concerning their history. Printed materials are incorporated in the college library collection and other materials (such as diaries, journals, newspapers, periodicals and records of organizations) in a separate archive. The oldest, out of print publications are available on the NAHA website at: www.naha.stolaf.edu. Both students and the public are invited to use this center for research in Norwegian migration.

Information and Instructional Technologies

Information and Instructional Technologies (IIT) provides computers, software, and support to all academic users within the St. Olaf community. Over 450 public Macintoshes, PC-compatibles, and UNIX workstations (Sun, Linux and SGI) connect to a campus-wide, fiber-optic network that provides free access to e-mail, software servers, printing resources, and the Internet.

Public labs in most academic buildings and all residence halls provide equal access to equipment and software for all students, whether or not they are enrolled in a course requiring the use of the computer. In addition, IIT offers free workshops and seminars throughout the year on topics including introductory sessions on the Macintosh and PC, using electronic mail on the UNIX systems, browsing the World Wide Web, and creating your own Web homepage. Specialized workshops are also developed as need arises.

In addition to the public facilities, 19 departments share or have their own specialized computing labs. This brings to over 400 the number of computers that students may use.

Over 75 percent of all students have their own microcomputer on campus; most also have their own printer. A college-sponsored microcomputer purchase plan allows all full-time St. Olaf students and qualifying faculty and staff to buy a computer at educationally discounted prices. (College-sponsored computer loans are also available to students.) Students who own a computer can connect to the campus network in their own rooms in all of the eleven residence halls.

IIT employs 21 full-time professionals who support the academic computing needs of the entire campus-students, staff, and faculty. Staff are available between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Student assistants are on duty during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends.