The scope of the library collection is intended to document the historic depth, the intellectual breadth, and the global expression of Christian thought and practice.
For all formats (print books, journals, e-resources, gifts, special collections), the acquisition criteria include: relevance to the curriculum and faculty research interests, academic credibility, research significance, longevity, author’s credentials, publisher, language, format, accessibility (software, hardware platforms), and cost.
The library acquires e-books in various ways: individual title purchases, perpetual access packages (e.g. ATLA Monographs), annual subscription packages (e.g. EBSCO Religion and Theology Collection, Oxford Biblical Studies Online, etc.), Demand-Driven Acquisitions (EBSCO)/Evidence-Based Acquisition (e.g. Project Muse, Bloomsbury). The determination of whether to acquire print or ebook format or both is based upon patron access needs, cost, usage, and enduring relevance.
BPL subscribes to databases containing e-journals and reference materials on Biblical studies, theological thought and practice, education, music, psychology, and African American studies. Streaming video is available through Kanopy. The effectiveness of the subscriptions is assessed by tracking usage and analyzing cost-per-use. Integration into LibGuides and the library’s discovery system promotes awareness of these research resources.
VTS degree program theses are all preserved in print copies. The library also maintains an online open access thesis repository with author permission.
Small collections of recent children’s, juvenile, and young adult books, mostly on faith topics, are maintained to support seminary campus families.
Special Collections and rare books are acquired primarily by gift and occasionally by purchase. The existing collecting area emphases are
- Biblical studies,
- Anglican/Episcopal liturgical works, such as editions of the Book of Common Prayer, hymnals, and sermons,
- History and theology of Anglicanism and the Episcopal Church.
The following are materials that the BPL Rare Book Collection generally does not accept:
- Duplicates of materials already held,
- Widely-available publications,
- Publications that do not align with the current curriculum of the Seminary,
- Facsimiles of original materials, unless they serve a specific curricular need or are noted as significant in and of themselves,
- Material that is excessively damaged.
The rare book collection includes a variety of Books of Common Prayer dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries, which also reflect the history of printing. The hymnal and liturgy collection includes works that span the 16th to the 20th centuries and the rich diversity of the Christian tradition from around the world.
Final decisions about the acceptance of rare book donations are made by the Head Librarian, based primarily on the criteria listed above.
Selected Keller Library rare books may be transferred to BPL custody for care, preservation, and scholarly access, with approval of the VTS and GTS Boards of Trustees, under the VTS/GTS Affiliation Agreement. Because the BPL building has limited physical capacity, only portions of these collections will be transferred; the remainder will remain in storage.
Library Collection De-selection Policy
Deselection is necessary to ensure the library's collections remain current and patrons have easy access to reliable, quality resources. Materials meeting deselection criteria are removed from the collection to make room for collection growth and possible future transfers from Keller Library. The library implemented a deselection and de-duping program starting in 2019. The library is committed to collection curation practices that are careful, conservative, and collaborative with faculty. OCLC’s GreenGlass Collection Curation program was utilized to inform the deselection process. Criteria for de-selection are based on the MUSTIE weeding guidelines:
- M = Misleading, obsolete, or outdated resources
- U = Ugly (worn and beyond mending or rebinding)
- S = Superseded (by a new edition or by a better book on the subject)
- T = Trivial (of no discernible literary merit; usually of ephemeral interest at some time in the past)
- I = Irrelevant to the needs and interests of the community; low recent patron usage
- E = The material or information may be obtained expeditiously elsewhere through interlibrary loan, reciprocal borrowing, or in electronic format, particularly the availability of stable, secure, long-term full-text digital surrogate available and preserved for the future, such as HathiTrust Digital Library.
- For the Journal collection, the primary criterion is the availability of secure, long-term full-text digital surrogate, such as JSTOR, ATLAS, or HathiTrust.
Criteria for retention despite availability of digital surrogate include:
- Relevance to denominational tradition
- Relevance to curriculum/research needs
- Uniqueness or scarcity in peer library holdings
- Collection balance in subject area
For deaccessioning of rare book material, BPL adheres to the ACRL/RBMS Guidelines Regarding the Security of Special Collections Materials, revised June 2023. Materials that duplicate holdings, fall outside of established collecting scopes, or otherwise do not fit the mission of Bishop Payne Library Rare Book Collection may be deaccessioned, subject to donor agreements and legal restrictions. Final rare book deaccessioning determinations are approved by the Head Librarian and the Rare Book Curator.
