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The library is undergoing construction for exterior maintenance with an expected project completion summer 2025. During this time, only the main entrance and ADA ramp will remain open. The after-hours book drop will be offline until further notice.
The library will be closed Friday, July 4 – Sunday, July 6 in observance of Independence Day Weekend. We will resume with our summer hours the following day.

Our Vision & Mission

The faculty and staff of Olin Library empower the Rollins College community through innovative resources, strategic partnerships, and inclusive, accessible learning environments to enhance academic success, global citizenship, and responsible leadership.

Olin Library aspires to be an exemplary liberal arts college library, collaborating with our diverse academic community in teaching, learning, and knowledge creation.

2024-25 Annual Report

June 2024 - May 2025

Academic Support & Research Assistance

Librarian Research Assistance

Our librarians taught a wide range of courses and orientations, including an escape room, met with students and faculty members for research consultations, and were available for online reference questions.

Our librarians have focused on migrating to library systems with modern UI for easier and direct access to resources, cementing Open Educational Resources and textbook affordability initiatives, maintaining liaison relationships, and refining virtual self-service features.

In the College Archives, 384 students visited in person and/or used historical materials for research and learning purposes, with a total of 483 recurring class visits.

From received feedback, students rated librarians overall

86% Excellently

Our librarians taught

111 classes

and interacted with

1,812 students

With a recorded amount of

72 consultations,
497 reference transactions

 

Tutoring Sessions

The Tutoring & Writing Center restructured tutor roles, creating a peer coordinator as a mediary to guide other peer tutors. The team also facilitated 32 workshops, resulting in an increase in workshop participants.

The STEM Hub Drop-in had

537 sign-ups,

a 146.33% increase

from the last academic year

The Tutoring & Writing Center held

1,686 sessions

and interacted with

3,046 students

The Library Collection

Borrowing

During this past academic calendar, 9,347 materials, including equipment and reserves, were borrowed throughout the year. Through Interlibrary Loan, 1,776 borrowed items were filled, along with a lending total of 748 materials filled.

9,347 borrowed items

including equipment and reserves

 
 

884,191 total items

are in the library's general and electronic resources collections

Items in the Collection

The library collection’s team continues to purchase new titles, ranging from academic texts to faculty publications to book arts, and has acquired electronic subscriptions to increase digital access, including articles, audiobooks, journals, and streaming media.

501 physical items

were purchased, including books, films, and games

155,658 digital items

were activated through 7 new databases and 2 e-journals

7,291 unique items

are hosted on Rollins Scholarship Online (RSO) to date

Within the Archives digital collections, a total of 440 new works were posted to Rollins Scholarship Online (RSO), resulting in a total of 7,291 unique items, a 6.4 % increase from the previous year. In addition, the Archives migrated digital collections from ContentDM to JSTORForum, offering users a modern system with a familiar interface.
 

Library Initiatives

The library’s Digital Strategies and Scholarly Communications Department supports instructors in reducing textbook costs and increasing access to freely available learning materials through its open educational resources (OER) grant program and open publishing services. These initiatives promote equitable, affordable education while encouraging innovation in course design and student engagement. 

Open Educational Resources

To date, the OER grant program has helped reduce textbook costs and expand access to learning by supporting instructors in adopting or creating open course materials, awarding $2,400 in OER Review Grants and $5,750 in OER Adoption and Creation Grants.

163 total students

were supported in OER courses, saving students a total amount of

$20,298

3 courses

replaced for-cost textbooks with free, openly licensed materials, with multiple sections currently using these OER

12 grants awarded

out of 17 grant engagements with 13 unique instructor participants, totaling

$8,150

11 total authors, 6 unique

1 book openly published

6 books currently in progress

Open Access Publishing 

Rollins Digital Press is an online publishing platform for creating free, public, openly licensed books and other open educational resources (OER) created by the Rollins College community. This data highlights current publishing activity and author engagement. These efforts are part of our broader mission to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and impact of Rollins scholarship while directly benefiting Rollins students.

Poster Printing

Through the library poster printing program, an estimated 414 academic posters were printed throughout the academic year, saving students, faculty, and staff an estimation of up to $21,458 (tax included)*. 

*Calculated using custom poster printing prices at a nearby FedEx print and ship facility. 

$21,458 potential savings*

in poster printing costs for students, faculty, and staff

Textbook Affordability

The library is continuing to accept textbook donations at the end of the academic year.
 

On the Web

Overall, users R-Searched less in our Primo catalog, which may be attributed to the rise in development and popularity of natural language processing.

During fall 2024, the library fully migrated its website to the SpringShare LibGuides CMS (Content Management System) and launched it at the start of the spring 2025 semester in conjunction with the old website. The new website underwent a complete design overhaul and features direct access to many of the resources and services we provide to the Rollins community in a modern, user-friendly, and streamlined way.

There were 87,288 recorded page views for all RSO digital collections within the last year, representing a 2.6% increase in the amount of online engagement compared to the 2023-2024 reporting cycle.

154,209 Primo (Catalog) sessions,

with a total of

144,100 Primo searches

93,514 website page views

for the library homepage and all guides,

a 170.5% increase

22,205 A-Z Database page views

with a total of

17,027 database clicks

 

Outreach & Programming

This academic year, the library continued to prioritize campus-wide engagement to build deeper connections with all students, faculty, and staff through departmental collaboration and support, consistent liaison communications, and increased programming.

In total, the library participated in 55 events within the Rollins community, having hosted 49 library events, a 104% increase compared to the previous year, and a recorded number of 2,886 attendees* a 29.8% increase compared to the previous year.

49 library events

with at least

2,886 attendees*

*This number is a recorded estimate and does not subtract the number of returning attendees. 

Inside the Building 

The library has undergone major cosmetic changes and repairs within this academic year, highlighting our dedication to creating inviting and accessible spaces for all patrons. To accommodate the different ways guests use library spaces, nearly all library furniture has been replaced with modern chairs, tables with varying heights, standing tables in study rooms, and new nook-like seating. The library has also acquired a SMARTboard for pedagogical use with campus partners, including the Education department, the Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center, and Instructional Design & Technology. 

The Grind Café officially opened in fall 2024 and is noted as a key library feature during campus tours. 

Currently, the library is undergoing extensive exterior maintenance, including roof repairs, window replacement, and exterior painting, with an anticipated project completion date of summer 2025. 


Let's Get You Where You Want to Go

Ask Us

Live chat with a library employee at any point during the day

Meet with Your Librarian

For research and resource use consultations

Meet with a Tutor

For academic skills and writing support consultations