Library_3

Library

The H.R. MacMillan Library was founded in 1971 when the Anglican Theological College and Union College of British Columbia amalgamated to form the Vancouver School of Theology.

Today, the library serves students, faculty, staff of the VST, adjoining theological colleges and UBC, as well as members of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the United Church of Canada. It offers access to a collection of over 35,000 physical items including books, journals, DVDs, a growing collection of e-books, and 350 e-journals. Located on the ground floor of VST’s new building, the H.R. MacMillan Library provides a quiet space for individual study and the use of the library’s resources.

Library Online Resources
Library Hours
Reciprocal Borrowing
Special Collections
Joining the Library
Circulation Policies
Late Fees & Lost Items
My Account
Online Forms
Online Libraries
Online tutorials

Library Online Resources

VST Library Catalog

  • Theolog 2.0
  • St. Mark’s College library catalog is accessible as well

Online Databases & eJournals

Library Hours

In-session Hours

Fall Term: Sept 9th – Dec 6th, 2019
Monday & Friday: 8:30am – 5:00pm
Tuesday to Thursday: 8:30am – 7:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Closed for Holiday

Thanksgiving: Monday, Oct 14th, 2019
Remembrance Day: Monday, Nov 11th, 2019
Christmas: Dec 19th, 2019 – Jan 1, 2020

 

Reciprocal Borrowing Privileges

Students, faculty, and staff of the Vancouver School of Theology have borrowing privileges at the UBC library, Dr. John Micallef Memorial Library (St. Mark’s College), and the John Richard Allison Library (Regent College). They may access both print and electronic resources through the University of British Columbia libraries. All three libraries are within walking distance of the school and provide important resources for theological and religious studies. Their holdings can be searched using our online catalogue, Theolog 2.0.

Special Collections

Thomas Merton Collection

In partnership with the Thomas Merton Society of Canada, the library houses the second largest collection of Mertonalia in North America. Books, journals, media, and theses by and about Thomas Merton may be found in the library’s Thomas Merton Reading Room. Items in the Merton Room itself do not circulate, but copies of select titles are available in the library’s stacks for circulation.

Rare Books Collection

The library’s Rare Book Collection consists of Bibles published as early as the fifteenth century, prayer books from the seventeenth century onwards, and realia from the latter period. Items from the Rare Book Collection are retrievable upon request and must be handled according to archival protocols.

Joining the Library

Library Cards

Current students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the Vancouver School of Theology can obtain a free library card. Free borrowing is also available to clergy and active members of our sponsoring churches: the Anglican Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the United Church of Canada.

Students, faculty, and staff of the following institutions may also obtain a library card without charge:

  • University of British Columbia
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Trinity Western University
  • Regent College

St. Mark’s students, faculty, and staff can use their library cards to borrow items from the H.R. MacMillan Library.

Members of the wider community are welcome to use the library’s resources onsite. Those who wish to borrow materials may purchase an external borrower’s library card ($25 for four months or $75 for twelve months).

Please visit the Circulation Desk at the library to receive your library card. The barcode number on your library card is your access number and is required for all library transactions. Please note that the Circulation Desk closes five minutes before the library closing.

Borrower Responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a borrower are to:

  • Return or renew items promptly.
  • Renew items:
  • Treat all materials with care – there is a charge for lost or damaged items.
  • Ensure the library receives timely updates of your contact information.

Need Help?

If you need help using computers, finding information, or locating a particular book or article, please do not hesitate to ask any staff member.

Circulation Policies

The circulation policies of the library differ according to the type of item, its location, and the category of the borrower.

Books from the Stacks

  • The loan period for most books is 4 weeks. (For summer school faculty and students, the loan period is two weeks; permanent faculty have a fixed due date of April 30 each year.)
  • If a hold is placed on a checked-out book, the loan period is reduced to 1 week.
  • Books may be renewed 3 times after which they should be returned to the library. (Neither summer school faculty, students, or regular faculty can renew books.)
  • Patrons may borrow up to 40 items from the library at any given time.

Media Items

  • DVDs and videos can be borrowed for 1 week and cannot be renewed.
  • If a hold is placed on a checked-out media item, the loan period is reduced to 4 days.

Course Reserves

Reserve materials are shelved behind the Circulation Desk.

  • There are two loan periods for items on reserve: 2 hours and 1 day.
  • Reserve items may not leave the library: they are for in-library use only.
  • They should be returned to the Circulation Desk after the 2-hour period, or at the end of the day in the case of 1-day reserves.
  • Holds and renewals cannot be done on reserved items.

Print Journals

  • Bound and current journals are for in-library use only.
  • Users can photocopy or scan library materials, provided the limits of Canadian copyright law are observed.  Please ask library staff for help with our photocopier if you have not used it before.

In-Library Use Only Materials

The following items can be used within the library only: bound and current journals, reference books, atlases, rare books, and all items in the Thomas Merton Reading Room.

Late Fees & Lost Items

Reminders

  • Three days before a book or media item is due, patrons receive an automated email message reminding them of the due date.
  • A second notice will be sent out on the day the item is due.
  • Overdue notices will be sent out one, two, and seven days after that.

The library sends email reminders as a courtesy to patrons. It is the patron’s responsibility to ensure that the library has the correct email address. Failure to receive email notices will not exempt patrons from the requirement to return materials by their due date.

Late Fees

  • Loans become overdue the day after the due date.
  • The overdue charge for all items is $0.50 per day.
  • Overdue charges in excess of $10.00 will result in the patron’s account being blocked and borrowing privileges suspended.
  • Once the fine has been paid, borrowing privileges will be reinstated.

Lost Items

  • After seven days, an item will be deemed lost and the borrower will be billed for replacement and processing costs.
  • Borrowing privileges will be suspended until the item is returned, or the replacement and processing fees have been paid.

My Account

Accessing Your Library Account

  • To view your library account, you will need a user ID (barcode number on your library card) and password.
  • To obtain a password, go to the Theolog landing page and click on the Set/Reset Password under the search box. Library staff cannot do this for you.
  • Enter your library barcode/user ID in the box when prompted.
  • You will then receive an email with instructions for creating a new password, the link for which will expire after 24 hours.

Renewing an Item

  • You can renew your items online through your library account; you can also email the Circulation Desk (circ@vst.edu), call 604-822-9382, or visit the library.
  • If you do not have an online library account, you can create one by following the instructions in the section above.
  • Once you have your password, go to the Theolog landing page and click My Account under the search box.
  • You will see the items you have checked out with a Renew button next to each.
  • Click on the button beside the title of the checked-out item to renew it.

Placing Holds

  • Holds can only be placed by library staff on items owned by the VST library, and only on items that are checked out.
  • If you would like to place a hold on an item that has been checked out, please email the Circulation Desk (circ@vst.edu), call 604-822-9382, or visit the library in person.
  • If the requested item is required for reserves or has gone missing, you will receive an email informing you of this and the hold will be dropped.
  • Once a hold becomes available, you will receive an email notifying you that the item is available at the Circulation Desk.
  • Items held by VST can only be picked up at the VST library; holds cannot be routed to our partner libraries.
  • The hold will be kept at the Circulation Desk for 7 days.
  • If the hold is not picked up within a week, the item will be re-shelved and available for general use.  You will be sent an email informing you that the hold has expired, and the item has been re-shelved.

Online Libraries

Online tutorials