There’s a hidden gem on the Missouri S&T campus. Whether you’re a high school student, a retiree, or anywhere in between, if there’s something you want to learn, the Curtis Laws Wilson Library might be just the place you’re looking for.
“If you’re a Missouri resident, this is your library, too,” says Dr. Bella Gerlich, dean of libraries at Missouri S&T. “We welcome anyone who wants to read or research to come to the library and explore what we have to offer.”
The Curtis Laws Wilson Library is located on the Missouri S&T campus at 400 W. 14th St. in Rolla. Visitor parking is available at meters in the F lot, off of 14th and 13th Streets, and in the L lots behind the library. The library is open to the public 8 a.m-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Any Missouri resident can get an S&T library card for free. To open a guest account, bring a current ID (photo ID preferred) and proof of Missouri residence (official mail, postmarked in the last six months) to the front desk of the library. Proof of Missouri residence is not required if you have a current military ID.
Guests can check out books for one month. Books can be renewed once, unless a student has requested the book. All books in the main collection are available to guests, whether you’re looking for scholarly works or leisure reading. DVDs are available as well, with a 14-day loan period. Guests can check out up to 10 items at a time.
Leisure reading and DVDs are located on the first floor, on the east side of the building. This is where you’ll find recent novels, with a particular emphasis on genres of interest to S&T students. The main collection is organized by subject on the other floors of the building. Most of the main collection is nonfiction, but the English literature section on the third floor includes classic fiction — this is where you’ll find Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Floor plans listing where different subjects are located are available on the library’s website, library.mst.edu.
Three computers are set aside for guest use, on the west side of the first floor, and have access to electronic databases and resources. Guests can print up to 20 black and white pages for free; after that, each page costs 25 cents, and you can print up to 100 pages per day. Alongside the guest computers, there’s a hidden gem in the form of a book scanner. The scanner will send scanned documents to the email you type in.
Community members can also request assistance from the university’s librarians. Research librarians can introduce you to the resources available through the library and assist in developing effective research strategies. Anyone can schedule a consultation with a research librarian; walk-ins will be assisted if possible, though librarian availability is not guaranteed. To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit library.mst.edu/reference.
The library also offers notary services free of charge. As with research consultations, drop-ins will be assisted if possible, but the notary is not guaranteed to be available, so scheduling an appointment is recommended to avoid wasting a trip. Call the library at 573-341-4008 to make an appointment.
The Rolla branch of the State Historical Society of Missouri makes its home in the basement of the library building. The Rolla Research Center focuses on southern Missouri and the Ozark Highlands, with a collection of documents and records from the surrounding area. Appointments are strongly encouraged to ensure that requested materials are available; for more information, visit shsmo.org/visit/rolla.
For more information about the library, visit library.mst.edu.
