Library & Bookstore >
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find items in the library?
Primarily through using the Online Public Access Computer (OPAC) through the library home page. Select the “Library & Bookstore” menu option. Under this menu click Online Catalog (LibraryNet) then select a search by several access points: Keyword, Subject, Author, etc. We suggest students use keyword and type in one keyword of the author and one keyword of the title to access a known volume. Otherwise a complete title or author name is the next best way to search.
Where is the seminary library located?
The closest cross streets are 44th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix. We are on the bottom floor of the four story building in the first suite to the right as you come in the main doors.
From 44th Street go west on Thomas Road. We are about 1/4 mile on the north side of the street just past the adjacent 3 story garage on the property.
Our address is 4222 E. Thomas Road, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85018
Does the library sell books?
Yes, we sell both new and used books, however our registered students get the first shot at new books. Three weeks after semester start-up we will sell new books to our students and the faith community.
We also sell a small number of used books we have removed from the collection. They are removed because of duplication or new editions have been printed–they are usually very good volume our students can benefit from.
Is there Internet access in the library?
Yes. We WiFi access which is password protected (passwords change weekly). We also have 16 study carrels with both power and Internet access via cable for laptops. 4 computers in the library are server driven while 2 are stand-alones. All computers have 17″ flat screen monitors and Internet access.
How fast are your computers?
We have 4 computers that are part of a “hub and spoke” type of system. The server, our “hub,” drives 4 computers at about 2.86 GHz. Though we use older computer hardware, the set up works quite well, because our high speed server drives these “spoke” units just as though they were all high speed computers.
One other “stand-alone” computer runs at about 3.4 GHz clock-speed with approximately 1 GB of RAM–enough to efficiently run our Bible software (Logos 3.0 and BibleWorks 7.0) .
How do I find a religious periodical for a class research project?
You will need to use one of three tools available on-site for searching current religious publications: 1) ATLA Religion, 2) Religious & Theological Abstracts 3) ACL periodical index
The best source of these tools is our hub and spoke computers in the library–ask a librarian where they are located. We can quickly show you how to use these tools which can not be accessed remotely.
Where is the bathroom located and how do I access it?
The bathroom is just west from our suite and beyond the guard station and around the courner. One must check out a key and sign a register.
How do I gain access to an item I want that is not located in this Library?
Through the Interlibrary loan program we have joined, our patrons have access to 58 million items throughout the US.
This online system is called FirstSearch, and we can access any item (books CDs etc.) you may select, but we will need to show you how.
You can also choose many sociological or psychological periodicals through FirstSearch, but access to religious periodical articles are limited.
Most religious articles must be selected through our indexing tools on our local computers, then we can get them for you through our ILL system.
How long can I keep the items I check out?
3 weeks. You can renew items for 3 more weeks provided no one else has reserved what you have previously checked out.
In most cases, with a renewal, you have six weeks.
What is the fine on items returned past the due date?
Each item incurs a 25 cent fine per day.