The Howard and Edna Hong Kierkegaard Library began as the private collection of its founders who made use of the collection to support their work translating Kierkegaard's works into English. In 1976, the Hongs gave the Library to St. Olaf College with the understanding that it would exist as a study and publication center, a place where scholars and others with interest in Kierkegaard's thought would be able to have access to materials in an environment conducive to their intellectual work. The existing Library consists of approximately 10,000 book volumes and the periodical article file numbers about 3,000. The collection also includes microfilm copies of Kierkegaard manuscripts located in the Royal Library in Copenhagen as well as materials in other formats such as cassette tapes, CD's, videos, and microfiches.
All materials are non-circulating.
It remains the largest collection of materials for Kierkegaard studies outside of Denmark. Other materials published before 1856 are included in this section as well. Titles in this section are mainly in Danish, German, and classical languages. The Library also includes reference materials and works documenting Danish culture, literature, and history. The Library occupies attractive space in the same building housing Rolvaag Memorial Library.