The Frederick T. Kelly Library functions as the heart of the College’s academic program. Library staff work with faculty and students to develop research skills and to provide a wide range of support services which enhance the teaching and learning experience. The library’s print and electronic holdings are designed to support the areas of study offered at the college and to encourage intellectual and personal growth in a liberal arts setting. Kelly Library provides easy access to more than 391,000 items including books, ebooks, periodicals, government documents, and DVDs. Kelly Library subscribes to approximately 320 periodicals and newspapers in print and has access to 100,000 full-text periodicals and newspapers in electronic databases available through the Library’s website. The Library’s electronic resources can be accessed by any College user from on or off campus. The Library’s facilities include collaborative study space, private study carrels, Kelly Computer Lab, McGowan Computer Classroom, and the Robert D. and Rachel K. Denham Poetry Collection. The Library is open 90 hours per week when the College is in session. Kelly Library also houses the college archives, rare book collections, the Hunt Room and its collections, and historical collections of note.
Kelly Library is a member of the Holston Associated Libraries, Inc. (HAL), a consortium of two private colleges and two public library systems. The libraries share a state of the art library automation system with all holdings combined in an online public access catalog, which allows for reciprocal borrowing privileges. Kelly Library also participates in the VIVA (Virtual Library of Virginia) and the Appalachian College Association Central Library consortia, which provide an extensive collection of electronic resources. If students need research materials which are not available in Kelly Library, the materials may be requested online through ILLiad, the college’s electronic interlibrary loan system.
The Marion campus hosts a Health Sciences library that contains 1,200 physical items and 8 research databases (including primary, secondary, and systematic review options). It also hosts the reservation system for private and group student rooms on the Marion campus as well as facilitates test room reservations.
Students and faculty have access to research assistance through email, phone, and in person. The professional librarians offer instructional programs, training sessions and orientations, along with academic reference services, and individualized assistance with projects, research questions, and term papers.