Library Overview

Phone: (609) 497-7940

The main library complex, which contains some 1,068,000 bound volumes, pamphlets, and microfilms, consists of two connected buildings with complementary functions.

The Speer Library , opened in 1957 and named in honor of the renowned missionary statesman Robert E. Speer, has space for 400,000 volumes. In addition to the Circulation and Reference departments, it houses the main reading room; several smaller study rooms and carrels; acquisitions, cataloging, and serials services; three classrooms; and meeting space for committees and outside groups.

The Henry Luce III Library , dedicated in 1994 and named in honor of a distinguished trustee, accommodates an additional 350,000 volumes. It contains the Special Collections Department, the Karl Barth research collection, the Abraham Kuyper collection of Dutch Reformed Protestantism, extensive facilities for Ph.D. candidates, lockable carrels, a computer lab, several rooms for seminars and for group or individual study, space for special projects that draw upon the resources of the library, and a general meeting room.

These facilities offer substantial resources for theological study and research at all levels. Among the collections are valuable portions of the libraries of Dr. Ashbel Green, Professor John Breckenridge, Dr. William Buell Sprague, Mr. Samuel Agnew, Professor J. Addison Alexander, Dr. John M. Krebs, Dr. Alexander Balloch Grosart, Professor William Henry Green, Professor Samuel Miller, Professor Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, Mr. James Tanis, and Dr. Louis F. Benson. The library complex currently receives about 2,100 journals, annual reports of church bodies and learned societies, bulletins, transactions, and periodically issued indices, abstracts, and bibliographies.

Although popular works are not neglected, the libraries' major objective is to acquire a comprehensive collection of the basic works of world theology. Primary sources are represented both by original early editions or reprints and by modern critical editions. The strength of the libraries is maintained by the continuing acquisition of all major sets, new critical editions, and scholarly monograph series currently published in the main fields of theological study.

General Collection

Books from the general collection normally circulate for a period of four weeks and may be renewed unless requested by another patron. Patrons are expected to locate the books they need and must bring them to the Circulation Desk to be charged. The arrangement of books in the library is posted on each level, and the staff members at the Reference and Circulation Desks are available to provide assistance in locating materials.

Reference Collection

The reference collection, with nearly 10,000 volumes, contains the resources generally consulted in theological study, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, almanacs, atlases, and handbooks. It features a broad array of bibliographical resources, including indexing tools; union lists; catalogs of specialized libraries; and national, trade, and subject bibliographies. Primary texts essential to the Christian tradition and a core collection of Biblical commentaries are also included in the collection, adding to its richness and value. Included as well are a number of texts that are so comprehensive in their treatment of a subject and so well indexed that they function as reference tools. Reference books do not circulate, and patrons using them must return them to the reference reshelving cart before leaving the library.

Periodical Collection

The most current periodicals are located on shelves in the reading room. They must be used there or in the copying area. Past issues of periodicals are bound into volumes that are shelved in the stacks on the main floor. They do not circulate and must not be left overnight in carrels or study rooms.

Reserve Collection

This collection consists of a selected number of volumes and articles that are heavily used in Seminary courses. It is located behind the Circulation Desk and is serviced by staff during all times when the library is open. Patrons may take only one reserve book at a time for reading and two for photocopying, and materials must be returned within the two-hour loan period. Patrons without Seminary Library cards may be asked to provide ID. Two hours before the library closes, patrons may check out a maximum of two reserve books for overnight use, and these must be returned the first hour of the next day that the library is open. A valid library identification card and local telephone number are required for overnight service.

Special Collections

Special Collections are located on the second and third floors of Luce Library, with access controlled by the Special Collections staff in Room 250. The collections include 50,000 rare books, 3,000 cuneiform tablets, Princeton Theological Seminary dissertations, an extensive collection of manuscripts from prominent theologians and preachers, and the archives of Princeton Seminary. Most of the material in Special Collections is available for scholarly use in the Special Collections reading room. Requests to publish previously unpublished materials must be made in writing to the Librarian. Visiting scholars are encouraged to inform the staff of their research interests in advance of their use of the collection.

Reigner Reading Room Christian Education Collection

The Charles G. Reigner Reading Room located on the main floor of Speer Library is an educational resource center that maintains a wide range of educational materials, including Christian education curricula, CDs, DVDs, filmstrips, slides, videos, games, records, cassettes, and audiovisual materials. The materials are available to Seminary students and faculty, and also available at a yearly fee to church educators throughout the broader Princeton community. Those interested should contact the reading room staff for information about fees and regulations.

Reference Desk

The Reference Desk, available during posted hours, is located in the Speer lobby near the main reading room. Requests for information may also be addressed online. The Reference Librarian provides individual reference and research assistance and offers periodic classes on the use of research tools. The Reference Librarian also handles interlibrary loan requests made by members of the Seminary community. Finding Materials

Online Catalog

Online access to the catalog is provided through the Voyager system from Endeavor Information Systems Inc. Public terminals for the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) are located in the lobby and at various locations in the buildings. The library catalog can also be accessed online. The database may be searched by author, title, subject, journal title, and call number. Some materials may be renewed online. Help screens are available to assist in understanding most functions. With few exceptions, the catalog contains full information on the libraries’ holdings. Patrons are urged to bring inaccuracies or discrepancies to the attention of a member of the staff.

Classification System

Virtually all of the printed materials in the libraries are shelved by Library of Congress call number. Library of Congress call numbers not only provide a unique identifier for each book, assuring it a particular place on the shelves, but also reflect an effort to order the collection by subject matter.

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan is a service provided to Princeton Seminary faculty, visiting faculty (including CTI members), students, and staff. It is designed to support these patrons in their research, making available supplemental resources that Speer Library and the Princeton University libraries cannot provide. Interlibrary loan books are borrowed at no charge to our patrons. These books do not circulate and must be used in the library. Misuse or late return of a book borrowed from another library jeopardizes our relationship with the lending library and may result in the loss of a patron's interlibrary loan privileges. If a lending library charges a fee for supplying an article copied from a journal or book, the patron will be responsible for paying the fee. The patron must indicate at the time of the request the maximum fee she or he is willing to pay for a photocopy. Requests for interlibrary loans can be made at the Reference Desk.

Public Copying Machines

Several copying machines are provided for library patrons. Located near the Circulation Desk, they are available to patrons who wish to make photocopies of library materials that are in the public domain as well as single copies of copyrighted material, within the provisions of the principle of fair use. It is the patron's responsibility to be acquainted with and to comply with the copyright laws. To use the photocopy machines, patrons may use a public key ($.10 per copy) or may purchase a copy key ($.06 per copy), available at the Circulation Desk for a fee that includes a refundable deposit.

Microforms and Readers

An increasing number of books and journals are available on microform. In some instances the library holds them only in this format. Microforms are housed in cabinets on the second floor of Speer Library, in the gallery toward the front of the building. Two reader-printers for microforms are available in that location. Users are requested not to re-file materials that have been taken from the drawers, but to leave them for members of the circulation staff.

Luce Computer Lab

The main floor of the Luce Library houses a computer lab, which is under the supervision of the Seminary's Computer Services Department. This lab is provided for the use of PTS students. There are 11 PC workstations, 2 Mac workstations, and 2 high-speed laser printers, all of which are connected to the campus network. A variety of software programs are provided, including Web browsers, word-processing, PowerPoint, etc. One of the workstations is equipped with a flatbed scanner and software for creating and editing image files. The workstations are unreserved and intended for daily use only. Patrons may not leave personal or library materials at the workstations unattended or overnight. Questions regarding services and support should be directed to mailto:support@ptsem.edu, or to the Computer Services Help Desk (497-7812).