Students registered at ETS have open access to a collection of over 45,000 theological textbooks, reference works, treatises, and magazines in both German and English cataloged according to the Dewey Decimal System, with holdings registered on a computerized database. Reference works may only be consulted in the library; other works under certain circumstances may be loaned out for a limited time. The library is also accessible for persons who are not enrolled at the school but registered as users. Acquisitions each year average around 400 books mainly in the areas of Theology, Judaism, Anthropology, Counseling, Psychology, and Music. Students have access to the library from 8 am till midnight. Staff members are available to assist students from 8 am to 4 pm.
ETS students may also access the University of Tübingen Library, which has more than 3 million volumes and subscribes currently to a little less than 9,000 periodicals. It includes in particular special collections in theology and religious studies with over 500,000 volumes. The holdings can be checked directly through online services or through the information of the Southwestern Library System. There is also a local library in town, and students have access to the library in Heidelberg.
ETS students have full access to the Lee online library resources, which include access to eBooks, Academic Search Complete, and other general full-text journals. In areas relevant to study, students have broad access to journals. For instance, resources for psychology include PsycInfo, PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Mental Measurement Yearbook. Resources for religion include ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, Religion and Theology E-Book Collection (Deo Publishing), Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts, Open Access Digital Theological Library, Religion and Philosophy Collection, and Theological Journal Library. Altogether, students have access to thousands of full-text journals online. Access to the Lee online resources is available 24/7, and students can access these resources through ETS’s wireless network.
A library coordinator is available at ETS to assist students during the hours of operation. The library coordinator is responsible for helping students find resources in the library. The faculty teaching courses on-site may provide more direct support as needed, and a distance librarian on the main campus supports the library coordinator and students at ETS with video tutorials and access to online resources.
Lee University requires each new cohort of ETS students to complete library instruction during their first semester. Students watch videos and read the instructional text provided by Squires Library, both of which are located on the library LibGuide for ETS. The LibGuide includes the following information and/or videos: 1) general contact information for Squires Library as well as specific contact information for both the onsite library coordinator at ETS and distance librarian at the main campus, 2) instructions on how to utilize the “Submit a Question” form, 3) the ability to request journal articles via Inter-Library Loan, 4) instructions on how to search the library’s resources through the EBSCO Discovery Service, and 5) instructions for how to choose reliable resources and avoid plagiarism. A representative of the ETS library is present during the presentation of the information to assist students and/or answer any questions the students may have about the videos or about the services provided. Each semester thereafter, students will be exposed to condensed library instruction consisting of a 5-minute reminder of the services available to them through the ETS library and Lee online electronic resources.
The Distance Learning Librarian on the main campus provides training and guidance to the library coordinator at ETS. They correspond regularly through email and/or video conferencing in order to establish stronger communication between Squires Library and ETS.