If you are doing advanced research on a subject, WorldCat.org is a place to find books - wherever you are.
If you are near the Bay Area you can order books in WorldCat using Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and pick up the items either at the GTU library or the SFTS branch.
Some nearby libraries may have a policy of assisting graduate students of other institutions. If there is a college/university library near you that does not participate in the ATLA reciprocal borrowing program, you can check in with us at library@gtu.edu to figure out next steps. One nearby library that is open to reciprocal borrowing is the St. Patrick's Seminary library in Menlo Park, CA. Please chat or email a librarian for more information on using the St. Patrick's library.
However, if you are a distance student or finishing your research from somewhere further away WorldCat.org is an excellent option to find books near you. First, you'll want to scope out your library options near you, since many public libraries offer ILL services to patrons. For example, if we have the book on our shelf, you could order it via your local library's ILL service and we could send it to the library for you to pick up. (We don't send books directly to home addresses, all books go library-to-library). Another option is that you might find the book right in your city and wouldn't have to wait for the mail.
Please note that some libraries cannot send their items through interlibrary loan during the pandemic.
Many public libraries are part of regional library borrowing programs, which often include Academic libraries. Using these might be a faster way to get the items you want, without using Interlibrary Loan. They could have as little as a 2-day delivery option, and you might get the books for a longer checkout period. As with interlibrary loan, some of these services may be disrupted or inactive during the pandemic.
Here are some examples, but check with your local librarian for more information:
If you are near a seminary or theological library in the US or Canada, please check with us. We are part of a program (ATLA Reciprocal Borrowing Program) that allows GTU students & faculty to use materials at other ATLA member-participating libraries. We can tell you more about this program, but you can zoom in to see libraries near you. Generally, the other library will want proof of your being a GTU current student, but if they would like confirmation of your current enrollment from a library just let us know.
If you are located in an area without any ATLA libraries, please tell us the name of the city (contact us at library@gtu.edu or via the chat box). We can contact local theology libraries and see if they want to join- sometimes they just don't know about this program and are happy to share! If you aren't near a theology library, we can try and work something out with whatever libraries are in your area, just let us know.
Please note that some libraries may have unique visitor policies. Please email the contact person before your visit to figure out details before your arrival at the library.
