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Libraries

The libraries at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University serve the combined student body with a joint staff and coordinated programs and services. Together, Clemens Library at Saint Benedict's and Alcuin Library at Saint John's hold nearly a million items, including over 900,000 volumes, 1,100 active paper periodical subscriptions, over 20,000 electronic periodical titles, 15,000 electronic books, and 120,052 microforms. The libraries' online catalog, MnPALS allows students to search the collections of both facilities, as well as 125 other libraries in Minnesota and many libraries in both North and South Dakota. In addition, through the MnLINK Gateway patrons have access to the University of Minnesota, its coordinate campuses, and most public library systems in the state.

Twelve librarians, twenty support staff and 5 media services staff provide a full range of services to students, including personalized reference consultations and classroom instruction in library use and research strategies. Interlibrary loan provides physical access to collections of the University of Minnesota, other Minnesota libraries (MINITEX), as well as libraries in the Upper Midwest. Both libraries feature Media Centers with extensive audio and video resources.

The joint libraries' website provides access to the online catalog and also to a wide variety of services and information resources, periodical information, many locally developed subject guides to electronic information resources, library catalogs worldwide, and the Internet. The campus computing network enables students and faculty to utilize these resources from virtually any computer on campus whether in their dorm room, office or one of the well-equipped public access computing areas on both campuses. Wireless network access is available at both libraries.

Clemens Library at the College of Saint Benedict provides study spaces for 500 students, as well as a computer lab with 59 computers available plus an 18-workstation computer classroom and 6 group study rooms equipped with computers. In addition to an excellent core collection of resources to support the curriculum of both colleges, Clemens Library features materials in the fields of nursing, education, juvenile books, fine arts, literature, religion and women's studies. The resources of the Music Library at the Benedicta Arts Center are also available to students at both schools.

Alcuin Library at Saint John's University, designed by architect Marcel Breuer at the same time the Abbey Church was built, features many study alcoves as part of the seating capacity of about 500. The library also includes a rare book room, two audio-visual auditoriums with seating capacities of 148 and 62, a small group study room with Internet access and controlled access to the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library which is included in the library building. In addition to its core collection, Alcuin Library includes many specialized and scholarly works, especially in the areas of theology and history. Alcuin Library is also a partial Federal Depository Library for Government Documents and a Defense Mapping Agency Depository Library.