Catalogue 2008 Book - Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

THE STITT LIBRARY
BOOKSTORE
A Cokesbury Bookstore is located on the Austin Seminary campus where required
textbooks, standard reference works, and important publications of current interest
in various theological fi elds can be purchased.
THE STITT LIBRARY
The David L. and Jane Stitt Library, named in honor of the Seminary’s fourth
president and his wife, is the heart of the educational enterprise at Austin Seminary.
The collection traces its origins to the second half of the nineteenth century,
making it one of the oldest and most distinguished seminary libraries west of the
Mississippi.
At present the Seminary’s collection numbers over 160,000 volumes. Particular
strengths of the collection are biblical studies, early church literature, the continental
Reformation, Presbyterianism, and Reformed theology.
The atmosphere of the library, with its open stacks, large reading room, and
secluded study areas, encourages lively exploration and serious contemplation. A
changing series of exhibits and displays make even a short visit to the library a
learning experience. Moreover, because the collection is open to the public, the
presence of many local ministers and university scholars also contributes to the
intellectual activity in the library.
Seminary students are not limited to the resources of the Stitt Library for their
research. Located only a few blocks from our campus, the collections of the Episcopal
Theological Seminary of the Southwest and the Lutheran Seminary Program in the
Southwest are also available to Austin Seminary students. In addition, all seminarians
are entitled to borrowing privileges at the Perry-Castañeda Library of The University
of Texas at Austin, whose library system is the nation’s fi fth-largest academic library
and one of the top ten research libraries in the nation. Also nearby are the libraries
of Concordia Lutheran University and St. Edward’s University. If materials cannot
be located in the Austin area, the library staff will request items on interlibrary loan
through a national network of over a thousand participating institutions.
Stitt librarians are partners with the faculty in the teaching and learning of
theology. In addition to building collections of theological literature, librarians offer
user training that provides students with the skills needed to navigate the many print
and electronic resources available to them through the Stitt Library, its partners,
and Internet-mediated information providers.
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS
Austin Seminary enjoys a wide variety of relationships with other academic
institutions and mission agencies. These relationships constitute resources which
enrich signifi cantly the educational enterprise.
The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest is located only two blocks
from the Austin Seminary campus. The two schools work cooperatively and make
the course offerings of each available to students of the other.
The Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, located on the campus of the
Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. This program provides students
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