The Wokasape Tipi, “House of Wisdom,” is the Learning Resource Center located at Piya Wiconi in the Pejuta Haka district and serves ten branch libraries located at the ten college centers. We are the public as well as the academic library for the Pine Ridge Reservation. We are a full partner with AgNic, the National Agriculture Library, and are recognized as the national authority on Bison, agriculturally, economically and culturally.

Library catalog - on our online reference page at: http://www.olc.edu/library/libdex.htm
SDLN – South Dakota Library Network, the card catalog for the state’s libraries, found on our online reference page
EBSCO databases and the Interscience databases for academic research, including nursing journals
Large reference collection at each branch in each center

Students will need a library card in order to check out materials and to access the online reference page outside of the college centers. Some of the online sites also require a library card to access their materials. All books are due on the date that is stamped in the back of the book. If you do not return the materials, or the materials are damaged, lost or stolen, you are still responsible for the replacement costs, plus a processing fee. It is your responsibility to insure that you return the materials checked out in your name. If you loan out your card you are still responsible for those materials. Failure to do so may jeopardize your library usage and future services may be denied.

The library provides opportunities to acquire information, materials and skills that will support current educational pursuits and aid in enriching personal lives, encouraging lifelong learning.

Archives

The Oglala Lakota College Archives is the official archival repository of OLC, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), and the Pine Ridge Reservation. In addition, the Archives hold extensive records from the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) as well as special collections acquired from various sources. Presently the Archives is divided into three collections:

Artifacts, consisting of objects such as drums, buffalo skins, pipes and headdresses
Special Collections, consisting of historical documents donated largely by individual members which collectively document the social history of the Oglala Lakota people
Institutional records, consisting of the administrative records of OLC, OST and AIHEC.

The Artifacts Collection is the smallest of the three. Special Collections contains the most diverse set of media. While it is far smaller than the Institutional Collection, its unique contents cover a wide chronological range and offer important perspectives on a broad range of Lakota institutions, including villages, churches, public schools and political institutions. Special Collections is arranged into seven sections: manuscripts, microfilm, video, audio, photographs, maps/blueprints/posters, and rare books. The institutional records comprise by far the largest collection in the archives, representing about 80% of the entire archival holdings

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the OLC Archives is to collect, preserve and make accessible for research the permanent records of Oglala Lakota College and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. The OLC Archives also collects, preserves and makes accessible historical and cultural records of the Oglala Lakota people, the Lakota Nation, and other Native Americans. Sources for these records include government agencies, private foundations, the business community, other tribal organizations, and individuals.

Some examples of the kinds of historical and cultural materials the OLC Archives will acquire are: personal papers (e.g., diaries, letters, manuscripts); oral and written histories; pamphlets and other printed material; publications of organizations; meeting minutes; maps; family photographs; and official records of churches, businesses and schools.

Access to the Archives

Research hours are from 8:30 to 5:00, Monday through Friday, by appointment if possible. The Archivist will answer e-mail and phone requests as well. Most archival collections are not currently processed; however, most are accessible to researchers. Policies, forms, the fee schedule and current inventories are available on-line at: http://www.olc.edu/library/olcarchvs.htm and use the historical institutional materials

Joel Minor, Archivist 455-6063