Hope College Libraries: A few facts

The Hope College libraries include the Van Wylen Library, an award winning building dedicated in 1988, that contains the main collections of the college and the Music library located in Nykerk Hall. The libraries contain 370,000 print volumes and provide electronic access to more than 20,000 serial titles. The libraries are staffed by nine full-time librarians, 12 full and part-time support staff, and approximately 90 student assistants. The library is a member of the Michigan Library Consortium and MeL (Michigan Electronic Library) offering patron initiated borrowing, database licensing, and courier services. The library has an annual budget of $2.5 million.

The staff teaches an average of 185 research education sessions each year. The comprehensive instruction program begins with the First Year Seminar and the freshman Expository Writing course and includes numerous discipline specific, upper level classes. Instruction about the use of the library is a collaborative effort by library and classroom faculty. The effectiveness of the close relationship between the classroom faculty and the library is reflected in the ACRL Excellent Library Award presented to Hope College in 2004.