Macalester College

Library

Does the school have a library on campus? – Yes
Is it a member of a library consortia? – Yes
Number of books, serial backfiles, and other material including government documents: 455,554
Number of current serial subscriptions: 2,647
Number of microforms: 78,180
Number of audiovisuals: 10,507
Number of ebooks: 2,411
Other library facilities: Archives, Rare Books

Museums or other Special Academic Buildings on Campus: The Science Center, a facility cited as a model for conducting interdisciplinary science, is equipped with state-of- the-art instruments used by students in science courses and in interdisciplinary research collaborations with faculty. Colleagues and students at neighboring colleges and universities also use these facilities. Hands-on experience with this instrumentation is an advantage to those pursuing graduate study. On average, 65 students complete independent research projects in the Science Center every summer. In addition to lab facilities, field research by science and environmental studies majors is undertaken at Katherine Ordway Natural History Study Area, a 300 acre site 17 miles from campus featuring tall grass prairie, oak savannah and floodplain forests. Ordway’s location within a rapidly expanding major metropolitan area provides unique opportunities to study the impacts of human activities on ecological and geological processes and makes it a valuable component of larger educational, research and conservation networks. Ordway Natural Area is dedicated to biodiversity preservation, education, research, and advancement of interdisciplinary practices in Environmental Studies. The Humanities Center supports interactive language learning and provides facilities to scan documents, edit and reformat video, and produce visual presentations in several formats. Seven project rooms equipped with editing and visual design hardware enable students to compose and edit independently or in small groups. The Humanities Center also provides access to SCOLA, a 24-hour international news service, available across campus. The Humanities Center also supports Moodle, the on-line course support system which enables students to contact faculty and submit or critique assignments online.