Interlibrary Loan delays.

Interlibrary loan requests submitted over the holiday break (effectively December 23, 2009 - January 3, 2010) will not be processed until Monday, January 4, 2010.

Please plan accordingly. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to email me.

You can always find answers to FAQs on the ILL homepage.

Take the library with you!

If you'll be away from campus during the holidays or in January, take the library with you! Remember that you can connect to our research databases remotely by linking to them from the library's website -- just log in using the 14-digit barcode from your Gustavus ID as your username, and (in most cases) your last name as your password. This is the same username/password combination you use to place Interlibrary Loan requests.

If you want to test your username and password now to make sure you won't have problems logging in from off campus, view your borrowing record here:
http://gustavus.edu/academics/library/search/borrecord.html. If you're
unable to login to view your borrowing record, contact e-resources@gustavus.edu for assistance.

Illustrated Biblical Views of the Christmas Story

The Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives has a new semi-permanent display of bibles located outside of the archives reading room. As a tribute to the Christmas season, a number of illustrated bibles have been opened to display various images associated with Jesus’ birth. Many of these rare and unique bibles are hundreds of years old. Please visit the display and see some beautiful and inspiring images. The presentation was made possible thanks to assistance from the following students, Morgen Hagedorn and Tyna Johnson.

Of Course We're Open!

Neither rain nor snow nor dark of night ... if it's not a holiday, we're open. At this busy time of year, students have lots of work to do, and if classes are called off, that's just one more chance to get to it.

But if you've spent hours in the library working on papers or studying for exams, sometimes you need a break. Why not help us decorate our tree? There are supplies in the GLA Reading Room. As you can see, some creative folks have already made a start, but there's lots of room for more hand-made ornaments.

Taking the Mystery out of the Archives

According to some, the College and Lutheran Church archives here at Gustavus are a mystery. It seems people are unaware of the types of materials held in the two different yet related collections.

First, these archives consist of primary source materials created by student organizations, individuals, departments, offices, local churches, and regional church bodies. Most documents, photographs, and recordings held in the archives are found only here and thus have monetary, historical, or sentimental value. The website for the archives gives greater insight and detail into our holdings.

Second, you might be wondering who uses the archives and what types of information are requested. We provide access to materials and help answer questions from students, staff, faculty, alumni, professional researchers, genealogists, and members of the general public. Here are some recent inquiries.
1. When did the first woman graduate from Gustavus?
2. What materials are there documenting the student senate? What is the process to donate additional items?
3. How can I research my local church congregation?
4. Where do I look to learn about the history of Old Main, Rundstrom Hall, the Library, and the Student Union?
5. What World War I posters do you have? A professor is collaborating with local colleagues to develop a teaching plan that helps students learn history by using primary documents.
6. Did members of the anti-war organization the Weathermen ever visit Gustavus?
7. What records exist concerning my relative who was a faculty member at Minnesota College? We hold the records of Minnesota College.

Should you have any additional questions that need answering, please contact the archives.