Library
Updates
Research support through live online session: library staff can provide online research support sessions through Zoom, Google Meet & Hangouts and Skype in addition to phone and email. If you like to have a live online research help session, send me to dbaek@vst.edu to arrange a session. (June 19th).
We are pleased to resume VST library book scan service on a more regular basis. You can request up to 20% of a book (up to 25% of a book when a single chapter is being reproduced), or one article from an issue of a periodical to be scanned and sent to you in PDF(s).
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- This is limited to VST students, faculty and staff.
- Use VST Library Scan Request Form for your request. The processing might take up to a week to process your request.
- Please be specific about your request.
- You can always suggest purchase suggestions including eBooks through Library Book Purchase Suggestion Form. In case you need help finding in resources, please contact us anytime. (July 9th).
eBook “Turn Away”
You might get an error message like “Sorry, this eBook is in use” when you tried to access an eBook. This is due to a limited usage license of the book. This might happen to EBSCO eBooks more often. For EBSCO eBooks, we strongly recommend you to download the chapters you need and close the browser instead of viewing the book online (streaming) to free up the book for other students. Depending on the book, it is also possible to purchase more licenses. (July 9th).
VST Summer Session eBook page has been created with library catalog links to VST owned eBooks for Summer Session course reading materials. (June 9th).
Fines will not be posted for the books checked out before the closure. You do not need to renew your books. Please disregard any system generated due date or overdue notice. If you want to return books, please use the bookdrop on the east side of the building.
VST Library Online Resource Guide
VST library online resource guide-2020 – library website provides information on how to access VST & UBC online resources
BIBLIX500 – Indigenous Language Translation & Interpretation – Ray Aldred – Syllabus
HB5/743 – Interpreting Joshua: Canaanite Destruction and Welcoming the Stranger – Mark R. Glanville – Syllabus
HBX500 – Reading the Hebrew Bible through Postcolonial Eyes – Ira D. Mangililo – Syllabus
Gossai, Hemchand, ed. Postcolonial Commentary and the Old Testament. London, UK: T&T Clark, 2019.
HISX600 – First Contacts in Contexts – Randy Woodley – Syllabus
IPI5/718 – Encountering Other Religions: A Jewish Perspective – Alan Brill – Syllabus
Brill, Alan. Rabbi on the Ganges : A Jewish-Hindu Encounter. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2020.
Knitter, Paul F. Introducing Theologies of Religions. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2002.
PT532 – The Art of the Commonplace: Being a Pastor in Uncommon Times – Kyle Childress – Syllabus
PT5/733 – I Come to the Garden Alone? Church Planting in Post-Christendom – Ross Lockhart – Syllabus
Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 1989.
PT535 – The Gospel according to Musical Theatre – Peter Elliott and Nathan LeRud- Syllabus
SP/PT5/712 – Practicing Communal Discernment – Roger Owens – Syllabus
SP5/727 – Henri Nouwen: A Spirituality of Integration & Imperfection – Wil Hernandez – Syllabus
Hernandez, Wil. Henri Nouwen : A Spirituality of Imperfection. New York: Paulist Press, 2006.
TH5/730 – Process Theology and Human Existence: Following Christ into an Open Future – Donna Bowman – Syllabus
TH5/731 – The Church’s Christology & Difficult Biblical Texts – Katherine Sonderegger – Syllabus
McLeod, Frederick G. Theodore of Mopsuestia. The Early Church Fathers. London: Routledge, 2009.
Williams, Rowan. Christ the Heart of Creation. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2018
TH5/732 – How Doctrine Matters in Real Life – Cynthia L. Rigby – Syllabus
TH5/733 – Theologies of the InBetween: Race, Mixed-Race, and Reimagining Discipleship – Brian Bantum- Syllabus
Sollors, Werner. Neither Black nor White Yet Both : Thematic Explorations of Interracial Literature. Oxford University Press, 1997.
COVID 19 updates
Free academic online resources during the COVID-19 crisis
Project Muse decided to provide free access to its electronic resources during COVID-19. You might find its Liturgical Press eBooks with Wisdom Commentary as well as Berit Olam Commentary relevant for your research.
Library Services during the school closure
VST Library is closed until further notice.
The library staff will continue to provide library support VST students, faculty and staff as follows;
- You can contact the library staff through;
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- Email: Daniel Baek at dbaek@vst.edu
- Phone: 604-827-3763 (8:00 to 3:00, leave message if not answered)
- Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Skype: email to arrange
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- You can request a section of a book to be scanned and emailed to you as an attachment. Under copyright law, the maximum length of reproduction is 20% of a book (up to 25% of a book when a single chapter is being reproduced), or one article from an issue of a periodical. More information about copyright is available here: https://www.accesscopyright.ca/media/1039/access_premium_poster.pdf
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- This is limited to VST students, faculty and staff only.
- Use VST Library Scan Request Form for your request. Due to current situation, it might take up to a week to process your request.
- Please be specific about your request.
3. The library has purchased most of your required readings as eBooks if available. If you need any other books that you want us to purchase,
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- Use Library Book Purchase Suggestion Form.
- We strongly encourage you to suggest eBooks as they can be made available in a few days.
3. UBC and VST library databases are always available. If you need any help in choosing or accessing to these databases, please let us know.
4. Use other libraries with reciprocal library borrowing agreement with VST
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- In Lower Mainland: UBC, SFU, Trinity Western University as well as Regent College
- Libraries in Other Canadian provinces and the States: Atla Reciprocal Borrowing Program
- Please check their library websites for possible closure.
Q&A & Suggestions
Q:How do I access a particular theology journal such as Expository Times?
A: You can access a particular theology journal online by
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- Go to the lbirary website at https://vst.edu/library/
- Click on LIBRARY CATALOG AND DATABASES on your left
- Click on EBSCO Databases on your right
- Provide your login in credential. If you do not remember, send an email to dbaek@vst.edu
- Click on the Publication Finder Interface
- Put your journal name in the search box, e.g. Expository Times, Novum testamentum, etc. You can also browse available online journals in alphabetical order by clicking on Publications on the upper left corner of the page
- The search result will show you coverage and links to full text
Q: I forgot my library card number and/or password
A: For your library card, please contact us. For your password, you need to reset it yourself as our system does not allow the library to reset it for you. To do this, visit THEOLOG’s password recovery web-page, and enter your library card number and click on “REQUEST NEW PASSWORD” at the bottom. You will get an email that you provided to the library to reset your password.
Suggestion: choosing a manageable research topic
While helping student research, I often encounter an ongoing issue of choosing a topic that is neither too broad or narrow to fit into a term paper. I found UBC library’s 3 minute Broad & Narrow Topics YouTube video tutorial very helpful. Before deciding on your research topic, I strongly encourage you to run a search with your keywords on our library catalog (THEOLOG).
About the 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 Hours
VST Library is closed until further notice.
Library catalog and databases
VST Library Catalog
- Theolog 2.0
- St. Mark’s College library catalog is also accessible from this site.
Online Databases, eJournals and eBooks
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:
- Online through your library account (see My Account)
- By emailing the Circulation Desk, dbaek@vst.edu
- By phone, 604-822-9382
- By visiting the library in person
- 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.
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 Theolog, click Sign in, and then choose the Set/Reset Password option. Please note that VST library staff cannot do this for you.
- Enter your library barcode/user ID in the box when prompted, and click Request New Password.
- 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 (dbaek@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, sign in to Theolog.
- 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 (dbaek@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.
Policies & Privileges
UBC Campus Libraries 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.
ATLA Reciprocal Borrowing Program
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- Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton AB
- Ambrose Seminary, Calgary AB
- Providence University College and Seminary Otterburne MB
- Knox College Caven Library, Toronto ON
- Tyndale University College & Seminary Toronto ON
- Atlantic School of Theology, Halifax NB
How to use this program
When you visit one of the participating institution, please let the library staff know that you would like to get a library card under ATLA’s reciprocal borrowing program. Most likely, you will be asked to verify your identity by presenting your photo ID and proof of current status by logging into Canvas, etc. You can also ask them to call us for verification. You will have to return to the books to the owning library. You are also required to abide by rules and regulations including fine of the host library.
Alum & Sponsoring Churches
As a VST alumnus, you have free access to the Atla Religion Database.
- The database is the preeminent tool for theological research and ministry providing full-text access to journal articles, essays and book reviews from over 1,000 theological publications.
- For easy access please contact the library at dbaek@vst.edu, or by calling 604-822-9382.
Free print book borrowing privileges for VST Alumni and members of Canadian Anglican, Presbyterian and United Churches.
- You will have access to the 35,000 curated items of the VST Library,
- We add hundreds of new items annually
- Browse our catalogue here: https://theolog.on.worldcat.org
- To borrow from the Library, visit us during open hours to sign up for a library card.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Online Resources
Book/Article Scanning Requests
Note: This service is limited to current VST community (students, faculty and staff) due to copyright regulations.
You can request a periodical article or a section of a book be scanned and emailed to you as an email attachment. Under copyright law, the maximum length of reproduction is 20% of a book (up to 25% of a book when a single chapter is being reproduced), or one article from an issue of a periodical. More information about copyright is available here: https://www.accesscopyright.ca/media/1039/access_premium_poster.pdf
Online Libraries
- Open Access Digital Theological Library (OADTL), contains 250,000 eBooks, 50,00 dissertations and nearly 50,000 million scholarly articles as of September 2019
- Internet Archive contains 330 billion web pages, 20 million books and texts, 4.5 million audio recordings (including 180,000 live concerts), 4 million videos (including 1.6 million Television News programs), 3 million images and 200,000 software programs
- HathiTrust Digital Library contains 17 million digitized items
Tutorials & Links
- Chicago Style Youtube tutorial from Memorial University Libraries
- Search in WorldCat Discovery by OCLC Training
- Searching AtlaSerials (Atlas) by DeWitt Library
- Atlas Database Scripture Search by AMBS Library
Weblinks
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Websites on Religion by ATLA committees
eBooks
In addition to our current EBSCO eBook platform, The VST Library will also be offering book access through ProQuest eBook Central. You will not need a ProQuest eBook Central account to read ProQuest eBooks on campus. However, you will need to have a ProQuest ID in order to download chapters and to access these eBooks off campus. VST students will receive an email with directions for opening a ProQuest account. If you need any help with VST’s EBSCO or ProQuest eBooks, feel free to contact the library at any time at dbaek@vst.edu. The VST Library always welcomes book (print & eBook) purchase recommendations from students, faculty and staff. Please use the Book purchase request form.
Need help in using eBooks, please visit the online tutorial section.
Book purchase suggestion
Computers & Technology
Print, Copy & Scan
VST library has a Konica Minolta Bizhub C308 multifunction printer/copier/scanner. This machine requires a code to operate. Please ask for the staff at the library service desk to enable the machine.
Photocopying is 10 cents per printed side; 25 cents for color. Printing can be done only through the library desktop computers. We can accept only cash at the service desk. If you do not have cash, you can add the cost to your library account.
Scanning is free. You can save your scan on a USB storage device or have it emailed to yourself.
Student Computers
The VST library has two Windows based desktop computers for student use. These computers have Microsoft Office installed on them as well as web browsers and Bible software.
Chargers & Charging cables
A portable charger and a charging cable for Android iOS phones and tablet including UBC-C input are available at the service desk for a 2 hour loan.
Bible Software
The VST Library has BibleWorks 10 and Accordance Bible Software installed on library desktop computers for in-library use. Please refer to this list for installed Accordance Bible Software modules.
Contact us
Daniel Baek (백봉근), Library Coordinator & Head of Technical Services
Email: dbaek@vst.edu, phone: 604-827-3763
Faye Chisholm, Coordinator of Library Public Services
Email: fchisholm@vst.edu, phone: 604-822-0675
Mailing address
H.R. MacMillan Library, Vancouver School of Theology 6015 Walter Gage Road, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1 Canada
Teleconferencing
Students can ask for reference support through Zoom and Google Hangouts sessions. Please contact either Daniel or Faye to set up an appointment.