Best Practice Guidelines for Theological Libraries Serving Doctoral Programs

This timely and important work acknowledges the professional, economic, and administrative challenges facing theological educators in nations under pressure, but chooses to focus on solutions rather than problems. It provides sophisticated, nuanced, and realistic guidance for administrators, librarians, and other advocates who are trying to address the information needs of graduate students and scholars in the Majority World.

Thomas E. Phillips, PhD
Director, Digital Theological Library

This book is full of practical and adaptable examples and suggestions by specialist professionals, and it also provides step-by-step guidelines that any school can easily follow to create or upgrade its library in order to efficiently respond to the needs of its PhD program.

Jung-Sook Lee, PhD
Vice Chairperson, Asia Theological Association

Best Practice Guidelines is a key contribution for any school in the Majority World. Its significance lies in the premise on which the whole book stands – that the library plays an indispensable role in any program, but especially in doctoral programs. The library is the main pillar on which the whole academic matrix rests safely.

Walid Zailaa
Academic Dean and Head Librarian, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut, Lebanon

1. Foreword
2. Introduction
3. Part I: Principles for Best Library Practice
4. 1. Area 1: Integration of Library in Planning a Doctoral Program
   2. 1. Principle #1: The library prominently participates in the preparation of the doctoral program
      2. Principle #2: The library prioritizes the unique needs of doctoral students and assigns personnel for the doctoral program
   3. Area 2: Partnerships and Collaboration
   4. 1. Principle #3: The library collaborates with faculty in research-related areas
      2. Principle #4: The library collaborates with other libraries locally and internationally
   5. Area 3: Collection Development and Management
   6. 1. Principle #5: The library’s collection serves the curriculum, including the doctoral program
      2. Principle #6: Collection development and management are governed by policy
      3. Principle #7: The collection development policy emphasizes acquisition for the doctoral program
      4. Principle #8: The library provides access to print and electronic resources
      5. Principle #9: The library fosters accessibility and sharing through a recognized classification system and online catalogue
   7. Area 4: The Role(s) of Library Personnel
   8. 1. Principle #10: The institution has sufficient qualified library staff
      2. Principle #11: Library staff consistently emphasize a “service culture” and continuously improve their user-orientation
      3. Principle #12: Library staff are continuously involved in life-long learning and professional development
   9. Area 5: Information Literacy in Doctoral Program(s)
   10. 1. Principle #13: The library develops an Information Literacy policy and curriculum
       2. Principle #14: The library provides initial and ongoing orientation for doctoral students
       3. Principle #15: Librarians collaborate with faculty in Information Literacy interventions
       4. Principle #16: The library is part of the institution’s research culture
5. Part II: Stories of Transitioning Toward Serving Doctoral Students
6. 1. 1. “A Joint Collaborative Task”: The Africa International University Library (Nairobi)
   2. 2. “To Stretch the Imagination”: The China Graduate School of Theology Library (Hong Kong)
   3. 3. “Excellence Is a Journey”: The South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies Library (Bangalore)
   4. 4. “A Missionary in and of Itself”: The John Smyth Library of the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (Amsterdam)
   5. 5. What Do We See?: Some Reflections on the “Transition Stories”
7. Appendixes
8. 1. Appendix 1: Profile of Doctoral Candidates in the Majority World
   2. Appendix 2: Library Networks
9. For Further Reading
10. Contributors