Library and Computing Facilities
Connecticut College’s Library & Information Technology (L&IT) division combines our library resources, computing services, and educational technology into one unified support system. The division provides students with the tools, spaces, and connectivity they need to succeed academically across the entire campus.
Charles E. Shain Library
The Charles E. Shain Library is a central location for study and research. The first-floor Research Commons features open-access computers located right next to the IT service and circulation desks, ensuring help is always nearby. This floor also houses the Conn Coffee which offers study space open 24 hours a day. For collaborative work, the library provides 10 group study rooms and a wide variety of seating options throughout the building to suit different study preferences.
On the lower level, the Technology Commons offers flexible seating for group projects, spaces for technology instruction, and the Diane Y. Williams ’59 Visualization Wall. The third floor is home to the Digital Scholarship Center, where students can find dedicated support for digital projects, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, and other digital research methods.
Library Collections
Our library collections are designed to support research across all disciplines. The general collection holds approximately 445,000 print books, 1.2 million electronic books, and full-text access to over 82,000 electronic journals. Students also have access to more than 200 databases, 100,000 government documents, 9,000 DVDs, 23,000 music scores, and 24,000 sound recordings. To expand these resources even further, our partnership with the Boston Library Consortium gives the campus community fast access to millions of additional materials from 27 other colleges and universities.
The Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives
Located on the second floor of Shain Library, the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives preserves Connecticut College's rare and historical materials. The collection includes over 24,000 rare books, more than a thousand linear feet of archives, and several art collections. The holdings are particularly strong in environmental and women's studies, local history and literature, fine press printing, and artists' books, alongside the College's own historical records. The Lear Center’s reading room is open to students, faculty, and the public, providing a quiet environment for primary source research and focused study.
Technology and Connectivity
We maintain robust wireless internet access across much of our arboretum campus. Essential academic tools, including email, electronic books and journals, and the Moodle course management system, are easily accessible whether you are on or off campus. Through the L&IT website (www.conncoll.edu/library-information-technology), students can connect to research databases, scholarly journals, and college publications. We also provide students with personal web space via Google Sites and a supported WordPress platform for creating academic portfolios, blogs, or websites.
Computing Resources
We strongly encourage students to bring a personal laptop (Mac or Windows, rather than a Chromebook) for their academic work. The College supports both Apple and Windows operating systems and offers educational discounts through several vendors.
Additionally, the campus features more than 300 Apple and Windows computers in public and discipline-specific labs. These spaces are equipped with laser printers, scanners, and specialized software. Facilities such as the Digital Scholarship Center, the Ammerman Center for Arts & Technology, and the technology-enhanced classrooms in the Blaustein Humanities Center and Shain Library allow students and faculty to collaborate on multimedia projects and explore new technologies. Finally, our high-speed internet connection through the Connecticut Education Network (CEN) ensures the campus community can reliably communicate and share research with organizations worldwide.