MLC Library: 21st-Century Resources for 21st-Century Needs By Linda Kramer, MLC Director of Library Services For students, finding a good place to study on campus can be a challenge. Dorm rooms are filled with the activity of college life, and other lounge areas and classrooms can be unreliable for providing quiet space. The library at Martin Luther College provides a study refuge and so much more. Walk around the library on any given day and you’ll find students engaged in a variety of tasks related to their preparation for vocations as pastors and teachers. Some will be studying in natural light at tables and carrels near main-floor windows, while others will be grouped in conference rooms or collaborative interactive spaces where they can practice a presentation complete with a computer, video screen, and teaming table. Others will be researching, writing papers, or working on projects at the library’s computer stations. Power outlets are provided for those students who bring their own laptops to use, and library staff are on hand to assist library users in finding what they need. Gone are the days when the only way to gather information was by going to the library, using the card catalog, and leaving the building with a stack of books. Today’s students, including those in graduate and continuing education programs across the US and the world, can log in to the library’s resources from the comfort of their dorm rooms or homes and access the full text of journals through databases and other digital resources. They can check the library’s catalog from their smartphones and stop in after class to get the books they need. As part of the library’s connection with the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative and other consortia, with a few clicks of the mouse and a few days’ wait, they can borrow inter-library loan materials from public libraries in neighboring communities, elsewhere in Minnesota, and worldwide. That’s not to say our own books aren’t important. In fact, the vast majority of the time, students will find what they need for their classes right within the walls of MLC’s library. That’s because books and other library materials are purchased with MLC’s curriculum in mind. The library, while welcoming members of the greater community to use its resources, has at its heart the mission to provide a collection that suits the needs of its campus community, whether for a first-year history class
Michelle Ewart DMLC 1990 Broken Arrow OK
Joel Sauer NWC 1995 Temple TX
assignment, a preseminary theological paper, a “kid lit” picture book analysis, or a student-teaching lesson plan. Many library purchases stem from faculty recommendations for materials that will support the classes they’re teaching. The library isn’t all-work-no-play, however. While certain areas are kept quiet for studying, the library is also a social center. Comfortable lounge areas offer a place to visit with friends, and there’s even free coffee available in the evening. Though times may change and library resources may look different, the focus of the MLC library remains on providing students with the space and materials they need to complete their studies.
By the Numbers
180,000 23,500 200 400 175
items in collection children’s literature books patrons daily, year-round items loaned out monthly to other libraries items borrowed monthly from other libraries
MLC Student Survey Results 97% have a laptop computer 76% have a smartphone 76% study in the MLC library 79% visit the library weekly or more often 58% search for resources from homes or dorms
Irmgard Lawrenz DMLC 1940 Lomira WI
Aaron J West MLC 2005 Indian Ridge TN
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