Since its inception, the PRTS Library has grown from the personal collection of President Beeke, several thousand books and other resources, to its present state. The library focuses, as one might expect, on Puritan and Reformed theology, with its centerpiece the Puritan Resource Center. Recently, the library has been reorganized and classified using the Library of Congress Subject Headings and numbers.
While PRTS Library is still a "work in progress," we are delighted to introduce, at long last, an online catalog and "integrated library system" shared with and hosted by our neighbor, Cornerstone University. PRTS and Cornerstone students have reciprocal borrowing privileges, using a system that coordinates and automates functions such as the circulation, cataloging, and searching. To begin a search of the catalog, click on "Find Books."
In addition to its growing collection of theological books, the library has a variety of journals, both as current subscriptions and bound issues going back several decades. Library subscriptions to several online databases (such as ATLA-Religion) provide further, powerful research capabilities.
Briefly, four other library resources for ministry and research deserve attention:
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL): Students and Faculty may ask to borrow books and articles that are not readily available in our own library. (Online ILL forms are easy to use via our FirstSearch database to locate books or journal articles.)
- Scripture Index File: literally hundreds of thousands of Scripture citations, from every chapter of the Bible, are indexed in an online database, and keyed to books in our library.
- Audio Library: thousands of cassette tapes available for library check-out, are now being digitized and will soon be accessible via MP3 download directly from our online catalog.
- Research Assistance: PRTS Librarian, Laura Ladwig, is readily available by email, the online "Ask-A-Librarian" form to assist students in finding and accessing basic theological resources.