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BSC Library History

  • 1939 - Bismarck Junior College (BJC) was founded and occupied the top floor of Bismarck High School. The BJC Library began as part of the BHS Library with a collection of 500 books.

  • 1955 - BJC and its library moved from the high school building to a location on the southeast corner of the capitol grounds (now the State Office Building at 900 East Boulevard Avenue). 

  • 1961 - The BJC Library moved to Schafer Hall on the new BJC campus, which was built on a tract of land overlooking the Missouri River at the northwest edge of the city. Harold Schafer, a local entrepreneur and founder of the Gold Seal Company, donated the land to the college in 1959. Schafer Hall housed the Library as well as classrooms and college offices, including BJC administrative and faculty offices.

  • 1968 - The first Library building was constructed on the BJC campus. Over the years, the Library building also housed academic classrooms, English and History faculty offices, a faculty lounge, the North Dakota Curriculum Library, the Gannon Gallery, and the Learning Skills Center.

  • 2015 - The Library moved to its current location on the ground floor of the new Skogen Hall building, located on the northwest corner of Edwards Avenue and Schafer Street, during the summer and opened its doors to the public on August 17. Demolition of the former Library building began on August 26 and was completed on September 29.