Please note: This is NOT the most current catalog.
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
Thirty librarians and staff and more than 100 students work to
purchase, organize and make available a rich blend of materials
and access points. The collections contain over 600,000 books
and bound periodicals and over 275,000 nonbook items (CDs, videos,
sound recordings, software, microform, etc.), housed in three
separate libraries: Rølvaag Memorial Library (the “main” library),
Halvorson Music Library and Glasoe Science Library. The libraries receive
more than 1,700 print periodicals, as well as hundreds of electronic publications.
The libraries are a partial depository for federal government publications.
While the collections provide the basic resources required for 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 online
catalog system, a variety of online services and the Internet.
Strong consortial relationships, especially with nearby Carleton
College, ensure the availability of supplemental materials that
enrich undergraduate study and research.
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. Librarians work with specific assignments in classes
and provide research assistance at the reference desks — Rølvaag (over 60 hours per
week) and the science and music libraries 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
Rølvaag
Library Building, is one of the major research libraries in the world for the
study of the thought of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. The
library was presented to St. Olaf College in 1976 by the Hongs, St. Olaf alumni
and internationally noted Kierkegaard scholars and translators.
College Archives
Located in the Rølvaag Library Building, the Shaw-Olson Center for College
History contains 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 online index of the Manitou Messenger, the student newspaper.
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 Rølvaag 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, A/V technologies and support
services to the entire St. Olaf community. Nearly 250 public Macintosh-
and PC-compatible computers connect to a campus network that provides
free access to e-mail, software servers, printing resources and
the Internet.
Public labs are located in all the academic buildings
and residence halls and 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 to the public facilities,
19 departments share or have their own specialized computing labs.
This brings the total number of computers available for student
use to more than 640.
Computing use is not limited to out-of-class assignments
as 91 percent of the St. Olaf faculty rely on some form of computing
technology in their teaching, e-mail notifications or discussions
and web assignments being the most popular. The college is working
to ensure that classrooms are equipped with the appropriate technologies
and, at present, 27 classrooms have a computer-projection system
and other related technologies. Additional classroom technology installations
are added each year.
Over 82 percent of all students have their own computer
on campus; most also have their own printer. Students who own a
computer can connect to the campus network and the Internet in
their own rooms in all of the eleven residence halls.
IIT employs 22 full-time professionals and nearly
70 student employees who support the computing needs of the entire
campus — students, staff and
faculty. A campus help desk is staffed nearly 66 hours per week during the
academic year.
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