Services for Alumni

Congratulations on your graduation from Saint Mary’s! And cheers to your continued learning and growth. Now that you’ve graduated, you can use the information below to learn how your library access has changed and how to continue pursuing academic research.

Borrowing Books

Saint Mary’s Libraries

As Saint Mary’s alumni, you are welcome to checkout print resources. You can browse the library catalog from home and then visit the libraries to borrow materials. While holds are not required, you may want to contact us beforehand to ensure that your items are available. We would be happy to set items aside for you.

Requesting a Library Card

Local residents may purchase guest library cards for $10.00 a year. If you are interested in purchasing a guest card, please contact us at lib@smumn.edu.

Minnesota Libraries

If you are a Minnesota resident, you can use the MnLINK Gateway to find books, DVDs, dissertations, audio books, and CDs—anything from a Minnesota library, including Saint Mary’s Libraries. Instead of checking the item out from us, you will request items through your public library’s interlibrary loan services. Note: Some items in Saint Mary’s Libraries’ collections cannot be borrowed through interlibrary loan, including assessment tests.

U.S. Libraries

Search WorldCat to discover resources from libraries across the United States. Your local public library will be able to order the items you need through interlibrary loan.

U of M Libraries

If you reside in Minnesota and want to checkout academic books, you can also become a member of the University of Minnesota Friends of the Library, which costs $80/year. With this membership, you can borrow books for 6 weeks and checkout 25 items at a time. Note: This option does not include remote access to online resources.

Off-Campus Access

Because of licensing agreements, we cannot provide alumni with off-campus access. Consequently, approximately 60 days after you graduate, you will no longer be able to access SuperSearch and subscription databases.

Ways to Access Online Resources

Saint Mary’s Libraries On-Campus

While we cannot offer off-campus access to Saint Mary’s alumni, you are welcome to use SuperSearch and library databases while on-campus. When visiting Saint Mary’s Libraries, ask a librarian to log you into a computer as a guest. Printing will be free. Note: Current students have computer access priority during busy times.

Electronic Library of Minnesota

If you are a Minnesota resident and have a public library card, you can access online articles, eBooks, and more using the Electronic Library of Minnesota (ELM). Many of the same EBSCO databases you used as a Saint Mary’s student, such as Academic Search Premier, are available from ELM. You can access ELM with a Minnesota public library card. Contact your local library for more information. Other states have similar resources. Contact your local library for more information.

Google Scholar

Many scholarly resources are freely available online from Google Scholar. Search a topic, and select the PDF link in the results list to access the full text.

Open Access Resources

As the open access movement continues to develop researchers can find many scholarly resources freely available online. To access a list of open access databases go to our A-Z databases list and from  the “All Subjects” menu choose “Open-access Databases.”  These databases may be searched freely with no logins.

U of M Computer Workstation Card

All visitors are welcome to unlimited use of on-campus resources provided by the University of Minnesota. You can obtain a Computer Workstation Card for free, which gives you up to two hours of on-campus U of M computer access per day. The card is valid for six months and can be renewed. See a list of the U of M’s databases.

Employer Libraries

Many employers, particularly larger medical or educational institutions have dedicated libraries staffed with specialized librarians. See examples below.

Allina Health: Library Outreach Services

Mayo Clinic Health Science Libraries

Professional Associations

Many professional organization offer membership discounts for journals and databases. You may also have access to databases through your employer.

American Psychological Association: PsycNet
APA members can get a considerable discound to the PsycNET databases, including PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS and PsycEXTRA.

Saint Mary’s Alumni Association

Visit Saint Mary’s Alumni Association to learn about events, benefits, and other services.