Why should Seminary students “go to the library”? Because of the ubiquity of online resources, it is increasingly possible to complete the degrees without setting foot in the building that is full of books. This is so even though many classes require readings or research papers that anticipate the use of the library. Surprisingly, some assessment feedback from students suggests that this mode of independent text based activity is not necessarily appreciated as time well spent. One proposal for responding to this trend reflects on the question of “time.” Time is a constraint of the human condition. We lack the means of going back in time, making more time, being at two places at the same time, and there is yet to be found a serious student (or faculty member) who has enough time. It is suggested that the primary function of the library, including both content and technology, is to transcend these time constraints. This poster assumes that the library involves much more than floor space in a bricks and mortar building, and that it has become increasingly virtual. So, what is the pedagogical purpose for requiring the use of library resources, however envisioned, whether physical or virtual? This poster illustrates three pedagogical functions achieved through the competent use of library resources: 1. Memory — testimony about times, places, events and people not accessible through first-hand perception. 2. Mentoring — knowledgeable experts share what they know so novices can form expertise as well. 3. Discipleship — novice learners are invited to follow along as experts debate and work together on open problems. Implications: Library assignments would benefit from a more intentional framing of how the particular assignment fits into this memory/mentoring/discipleship paradigm. Key questions: Students: Why are you reading this particular source? Is it to acquire standard factual knowledge, or to learn from the wisdom of a mentor, or to engage with experts tackling a challenging problem? Professors: What are you expecting your students to experience as they access particular sources? Are you expecting them to become familiar with the status quo, or to think through a significant theme with the guidance of a mentor, or might it be to gain the cognitive and rhetorical skills that may contribute to a scholarly conversation?