Library Services

The RTS Jackson library provides the following services.

Print Collection

The library's print collection consists of the following items.

  1. Circulating books: These are the books located in the Main stacks and in the Curriculum Lab. These are the books that can be checked out.
  2. Reference books: These are the books located in the reference stacks and do not check out. Books located in the Seminary collection also do not check out.
  3. Course reserve books: These are books set aside at the beginning of each semester for individual courses. They are available for limited check out at the circulation desk.
  4. Rare books: The books located in the Rare book room and do not circulate. These books are not available for general research use but can be reference after making arrangments with the library staff. These books will appear in the online catalog.
  5. Dissertations: The library maintains a collection of RTS graduate dissertations. Single copy dissertations do not check out.
  6. Minutes: The library as a sizeable collection of General Assembly and Synod minutes of Southern presbyteries, as well as WIC assembly minutes. Many of the minutes are on microfilm. Minutes do not check out.
  7. Periodicals: The library maintains current subscriptions to numerous periodicals relating to the seminary's curriculum. Current and old periodicals are filed separately. None of the periodicals are available for check out.
  8. Microform: Some of the books in the catalog are actually on microfiche or microfilm. Documents on microfiche or microfilm along with the microform readers and printers are located in the microform room. This room is also home to the library's collection of Early American Imprints.
  9. Seminary Catalogs: Current and previous catalogs for several seminarys are located in the CD-ROM room.

 

 

Electronic Collection

The library provides access to the following databases.

  1. RTS Online Catalog: The online catalog allows you to search the RTS Jackson, Orlando, and Charlotte libraries for books, audio-cassettes, videos, microfilm, and microfiche. The online catalog is avaialable on all of the computers in the library, as well as from any computer connected to the Internet. For additional information, see "How do I search for books?"
  2. American Theological Library Association Religion Database (ATLA RD): The ATLA Religion Database is an essential tool for the study of religion. It is the premier index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion. This database will be your chief source for finding artciles in theological and Bibical studies. The ATLA is avaialble on all of the computers in the library. For additional information, see "How do I search for a journal article using ATLA?"
  3. FirstSearch: FirstSearch provides access to databases, and is not a database itself. Most of the databases available through FirstSearch are dedicated to a specific discipline, such as psychology, social science, agriculture, humanities, etc. For help identifyig the database to search, please see "What databases should I search in FirstSearch?" FirstSearch is available at all of the computers in the library. If you are an RTS Jackson student or faculty, you can also use the authorization # and passoword to access it from any computer connected to the Internet. For additional information, see "How do I search for books and articles using FirstSearch?"
  4. Dissertations Abstracts: Dissertation Abstracts represents original academic research from over 1,000 universities throughout the world. It is the most comprehensive information resource covering doctoral dissertations and master's theses. Disseration Abstracts is a CD product and is only available at the computer closest to the circulation desk. For additional information, please see "How do I search for a dissertation?"
  5. Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI): The Social Sciences Citation Index provides access to current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in over 1,700 of the world’s leading scholarly social sciences journals covering more than 50 disciplines. They also cover individually selected, relevant items from approximately 3,300 of the world’s leading science and technology journals. SSCI is a CD product and is only available at the computer closest to the circulation desk. For additional information, please see "How do I search for a journal article using SSCI?"
  6. Brittanica Online: Britannica Online is the Internet version of the Encyclopedia of the same name, and is an excellent source for introductory information and thorough overviews of any person, place, or event. Britannica Online is available at all of the computers in the library.
  7. Other CD-ROM products: The library also provides The Works of John Owen, Operation World, and The Real-Deal textobook companion software on all of the computers in the library.

 

 

Audio-visual Collection

The library maintains a collection of videos and cassettese in the Audio-Visual Room. These resources are available for check-out.

The Audio-Visual Room also provides four listening and viewing rooms for use with the A/V materials.

 

 

Internet Access

You can access the Internet in the library from any of the computers located in the front of the library. These computers are stationed at the beginning of the old periodical shelves and the main circulating shelves.

We have also provided a list of helpful internet sites on the Library's Home Page.

 

 

Computer lab

The computer lab is available to students for word-processing. Microsoft Word 97 is available on all of the computers in the lab.

The lab is available during normal library hours.

 

 

Study Carrels

The Study Carrels located in the Graduate Study room are available for reservation by Th.M, D.Min, and Ph.D students.

To apply for a carrel assignment throughout a semester please ask at the Circulation Desk.

 

 

Reference

Reference assistance is available from the library staff to all library-users.

If you need help finding an item, using an electronic resource, or would like to know more about the resources available in the library, please ask for a library staff member at the circulation desk.

 

 

Inter-library loan

The inter-library loan service provides students, staff, and faculty members access to books and journal articles from other libraries around the United States. In some instances, microfiche, video and audio tapes are also available.

If you need an item which this library does not own, it may be possible to acquire it through the ILL service from another lending library.

For additional information, please see "Inter-library loan requests."

ILL Book Request Form

ILL Article Request Form

 

Student Dissertation Processing and Binding

The library facilitates the submission of the student's dissertation to the bindery, as well as to the appropriate microfilming agency.

For instructions and the costs for binding student dissertations, please see "Submitting Dissertations for Binding."

 

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