10.16. Philip Weltner Library

The Philip Weltner Library is vital to the scholarly environment of Oglethorpe as both a destination and a body of resources, the library supports the mission of the University through its varied collections and programs. It provides a scholarly atmosphere for the pursuit of academic excellence and encourages collaborative learning and individual study.

The mission of the library is to enhance, strengthen, and champion academic research within the Oglethorpe University community. By imparting lifelong learning skills, providing authenticated knowledge resources, and engaging users, the library prepares stakeholders to appropriately find and evaluation information in the 21st century global environment.

To accomplish its mission, the library:

  • Develops an appropriate collection of resources based on the needs of the community.
  • Organizes, describes, and houses the collection for effective access and preservation.
  • Provides prompt and equitable access to the collection.
  • Provides instruction and assistance in the use of the library to deliver resources and promote lifelong learning.
  • Provides enhanced access through formal consortial agreements with other colleges and universities.

The collection houses in a variety of types and formats.  Purchase of resources is heavily influenced by Oglethorpe community involvement.  The library strives to develop a collection that reflects the diversity and makeup of the campus community.  A balance is maintained between print and electronic resources as both are necessary to the development of critical thinking and writing skills emphasized by the University.

GALILEO (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online) is an online library portal to authoritative, curated resources. The Oglethorpe community may access hundreds of databases indexing tens of thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. Other resources include encyclopedias, business directories, government publications, primary and archival sources, and images.

In addition to GALILEO, the library subscribes to a number of scholarly, discipline-specific databases. Consortia memberships in AMPALS (Atlanta-Macon Private Academic Libraries), GPALS (Georgia Private Academic Libraries), and ARCHE (Atlanta Regional Council of Higher Education) (see Sec. 10.6.) provide Oglethorpe with access to members’ libraries and services including interlibrary loan and interlibrary use privileges.

Access services include circulation, interlibrary loan, and print and electronic reserves.  Students access appropriately licensed online materials through the campus learning management system.  The Library also circulates Chromebooks, laptops, and calculators to students.  Library resources are a shared collection and prompt return of materials, especially reserve items, is an expectation of both the Honor Code and the Code of Student Conduct.  Damaging library resources is also a violation of both codes. A current PetrelPass or government-issued photo identification must be presented at the time of check out.

Library staff members are available during regular hours or by appointment. Reference librarians offer research assistant to students and provide information literacy instruction at the request of faculty members.

A scaffold-based information literacy program ensures that students gain proficiency in using a variety of resources and formats applicable to their classes as they progress through academic levels. This acquired skill set is a lifelong learning tool and adheres to information literacy standards created by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).  The information literacy program provides outreach and instruction sessions for students as well as customized guides at the request of the faculty.

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research (OJUR) is a scholarly journal promoting undergraduate research. It seeks to preserve and make available the academic and creative innovations of the campus constituency. The journal serves as both a digital repository of scholarly output and a platform for publishing works of the campus community that promote inventive and original works.

OJUR accepts scholarly works produced by current members of the Oglethorpe University community.

The aims of this journal are:

  • To showcase campus scholarly endeavors
  • To provide students an experience with open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly publishing
  • To preserve and circulate the University’s academic record

For more information and submission guidelines, see https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/ojur/.

The library provides a destination for individual study, collaborative work, and a variety of campus programs.  Computers, printers, study rooms, and a 24-Hour Room allow students to tailor the library physical resources to their own study needs.  A fifty-seat, multimedia classroom and seminar space are often used by faculty for classes or events.

The beautiful library space is also a venue for many events including film showings, lectures, orientations, as well as for alumni and admission programs.

Current information and policies can be found on the library webpage at https://library.oglethorpe.edu/.

Patrons’ expectation of privacy in how they use resources and materials is foundational to the concept of libraries.  Adhering to the American Library Association Code of Ethics, the library “protects each library users’ right to privacy and confidentially with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted.”  Only through court order may patrons’ circulation histories be shared.