Did you know that many of the same Pitts Theology Library resources that you relied on as a student are still available to you as an alum? Even while in-person borrowing privileges are on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pitts can support your ministry, research, and community leadership through a variety of resources.
Providing access to quality theological materials for alumni is a top priority for Pitts, says Library Director and Margaret A. Pitts Assistant Professor in the Practice of Theological Bibliography Richard “Bo” Manly Adams Jr., especially during COVID-19.
“The pandemic has reminded us how important consistent access to quality information is,” Adams says. “Throughout this challenging time, when many have been without physical access to libraries, our team at Pitts has been available to our alumni through phone, email, and chat, ready to help them find what they need.”
Digital Resources
Multiple digital resources are available to Candler and Emory alumni, including the Hermeneia Biblical Commentary Series, the Credo Reference Library, and ATLA for Alumni.
Alumni can access the following online databases:
- Academic Search Alumni Edition: Intended for the research needs of the post-college professional, this database provides full text for more than 3,350 journals in nearly every area of academic study.
- Alexander Street Press Music Online: A collection of over 10 million streaming songs from hundreds of thousands of artists and composers in a wide range of genres.
- ATLA Database Access for Alumni: The leading index of literature published in the fields of theology and religious studies, including many full text articles, essays, and book reviews.
- Credo Reference Library: 3 million reference entries from notable subject encyclopedias, handbooks, guides, companions and readers covering over 80 major subject disciplines and more than 6 million research concepts.
- Hermeneia Biblical Commentary Series: Designed for the serious student of the Bible, the series seeks to offer authoritative interpretation of the earliest texts of the biblical books and other literature closely related to the Bible.
- Oxford Biblical Studies Online: A comprehensive resource for the study of the Bible and biblical history, integrating authoritative scholarly texts and reference works with tools to easily research the Bible’s background and context.
- Ministry Matters: Alumni can subscribe to this extensive database, which includes biblical commentaries, dictionaries, and church ministry resources, for $10 a month or $100 a year.
To use these resources, alumni must register online with the Emory Alumni Association. View an instructional video on accessing alumni resources.
Research Support
Pitts’ reference librarians are available to work with Candler alumni by phone, text, email, and online chat. Contact them here. They also provide open-access research guides to help on a range of topics related to the study of religion and theology, as well as research habits and general tools. Find the research guides here.
Weekly Workshops
Alumni are also invited to participate in Pitts Library Weekly Workshops, which cover a variety of topics including citations and citation software, becoming a more effective researcher, sermon prep, and resources for church leaders. Recordings of these workshops, past handouts, and previews can be found at our webinar webpage and Weekly Workshops resources page.
“I’m proud of my Pitts colleagues, who for years have been working for alumni access to good, quality information sources in religious studies and theology online,” Bo Adams says. “Amidst the many disruptions of the pandemic, access to good resources for Candler alums has been a welcome constant.”
Follow Pitts on social media or the weekly blog for more updates and announcements.
Questions? Contact Pitts Theology Library staff at theologyref@emory.edu