The Luther Seminary library staff works hard and has fun doing it. Here’s a peek into the myriad ways our library colleagues support the seminary’s mission—and a broad invitation to stop by, say hello, and take advantage of the library’s outstanding resources.

Who all is on the library staff and what do the different roles entail?

Peter Watters, Circulation and Collection Coordinator. I am in charge of patron accounts, interlibrary loans, holds, and physical and electronic reserves. I answer reference questions and supervise student workers and cataloging. 

Peter Susag, Writing Support and Library Acquisitions Coordinator, IRB Chair, Disability Services Liaison. In the library, I provide writing support, manage serials, and handle purchasing and billing. In my other roles, I work with students with disabilities and oversee human subjects research.

Paul Daniels, archives. I serve half time as head of arts and archives for the seminary and half time as archivist for the 9 Synods of ELCA Region 3 (Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota)

Dale Dobias, Director of Library Services. I go to meetings, sign invoices, and am currently shifting the entire print collection to make more room throughout the shelves.

Mary Ann Teske, cataloging. I am mostly retired now but work part-time on special cataloging projects. As the person with the longest history in our library, I continue to do some training with staff and answer questions as they arise.

Fred Sweet, research. I work part-time as a research librarian, primarily overseeing the development of online research guides and theological bibliographies. I share monthly Community Announcements about library resources and update seminary faculty on new resources in their respective subject areas each month. I also provide occasional reference replies and library instruction for classes online.

What is your favorite part of your role?

Dale Dobias. I enjoy working with this very capable and competent library staff who do amazing work in supporting the scholarship of the Luther Seminary community.

Peter Watters. My favorite part of my role is the hunt for references, lost books, and obscure sources. I love the investigative aspect of a resource search after a patron has come up empty handed and asks for help.

Peter Susag. I like working with people on research projects (often virtually) and how this contrasts with the materiality of navigating the library’s physical collection.

Paul Daniels. I love helping researchers find the most useful materials for their projects. This is the reason for maintaining and caring for these collections—gathered and preserved over so many years.

Mary Ann Teske. I have always loved helping people understand the Library of Congress classification system and finding those physical resources that they need. In my current role, I am enjoying finishing some projects that have awaited attention for years. These projects sometimes include rare resources that are often in foreign languages, so it’s always challenging, but highly rewarding, and benefits our library.

Fred Sweet. I most enjoy developing the online research guides and theological bibliographies that assist students and faculty.

What are some interesting facts and figures about Luther Seminary’s collection?

– Luther Seminary’s archive collection spans the years 1869 with the founding of our earliest predecessor school to Augsburg Seminary to the present day. The collection includes material on each of the several antecedent schools, making it one of the largest seminary collections in the ELCA.

– The ELCA Region 3 Archives is a heavily used research collection, particularly rich in biographical and congregational record materials. It is the largest regional collection in the ELCA.

– The seminary stacks collection includes over 230,000 print volumes, thousands of digital resources, and a growing e-book collection.

How have you as a staff adjusted to the shift toward more online and distance learning?

Dale Dobias. In the Fall of 2020 the library made the conscious decision to purchase electronic versions of as many course required texts as possible. This provides better access, especially for distance learners, as well as gives students the opportunity to reduce the cost of purchasing textbooks if they so choose.

Paul Daniels. Nearly all of the initial reference inquiries for archival materials are handled online, with many Region 3 Archives services provided entirely online for congregational researchers.

Fred Sweet. When I began my work at Luther Seminary in 2017, my work was entirely in person at the library. Today, I work almost entirely online, and I aim to develop resources that are accessible to students and faculty online.

Peter Susag. In my role as writing support, I’ve always had the option to meet face-to-face or virtually, as well as synchronously or asynchronously. As the residential population has shifted to commuter and online-only students, the trend has been toward more online asynchronous work. That said, I’m still in the library every day and available for drop-ins, because we receive and process books, bills, and mail constantly.

What is the most important thing you want students to know about the library and the library staff?

Dale Dobias. I would like students and faculty to see the library not simply as a collection of books and other resources but as a place where conversation and community can happen in an environment that is welcoming and safe. My hope is that students “see themselves” reflected in the resources we provide and that this academic community is both supported and challenged in surprising ways by this collection.

Paul Daniels. I’d like all of our different constituencies to see us as a place of service and access to our amazing range of resources.

Peter Susag. I hope people realize what a resource this collection is. We literally have people travel around the world to use these materials, so take advantage of them. If you’re not sure where to start, ask one of us, because we love to do deep dives on research topics.

Mary Ann Teske. I echo what Peter S. has written. Our collection is amazing and it continues to support scholarship both on campus and beyond. I have shared work in the library with many librarians and staff over the years and every single person has been service-minded. Interrupt us. Ask questions. We want to help!