As the research and study center of the seminary and synod, the library provides a wide range of bibliographic, media, and reference services to the campus community and beyond. While the primary mission is to render service and assistance to the students and faculty, parish pastors and other professional church workers also benefit from the materials and services provided by the library.
Modern technology is combined with a strong traditional approach to scholarly research.
The library's online catalog provides quick access to holding and location information, while CD-ROM indexes lead students and scholars to other resources. Researchers around the world have access to the online catalog through the Internet. On campus, the use of various audio, video, and computer media assists students in gaining helpful skills for ministry in the next century. The book collection numbers over 211,000 volumes. Alumni and interested individuals have given unusual and rare materials to the library, e.g., the incunabula from C. A. Graebner, the Russian icons and crosses from Paul Kluender, the Hemmeter collection of some 1200 dissertations and pamphlets published before 1800.