Mission
The Berntsen Library is a center of intellectual inquiry and actively supports the mission of the University of Northwestern St. Paul. We serve our community by meeting information needs with curriculum-based resources and by providing guidance in finding and effectively using information. In carrying out this mission, we seek to know our profession and community so that we can develop services in response to its needs, equipping patrons with information skills for a lifetime of learning.
The library staff strives to carry out our work within our stated values: collegiality, excellence in service, intellectual inquiry, respect for people at all levels of educational pursuit and from all disciplines, and stewardship.
History
The Berntsen Library is named in honor of former University of Northwestern president and chancellor, William B. Berntsen. The three-level, 37,800 square-foot facility opened to the Northwestern community in January 1993.
The library provides access to more than 750,000 titles and 118 online collections. Additionally, the Berntsen Library is a member of CLIC (Cooperating Libraries in Consortium), which provides for and promotes resource-sharing with the libraries of six other private colleges in the Twin Cities. Through CLIC, the UNW community gains access to a combined collection of 2.2 million titles.
