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American Theological Library Association Library Development Program Records

 Collection
Call Number: RG 81

Scope and Contents

Series I contains documents and correspondence which relate to the general operations of the Library Development Program. The bulk of the collection falls in Series II, which is arranged alphabetically by institution. The material for each institution is chronologically arranged within two formats: reports/forms and correspondence. Series III contains correspondence, reports and record books documenting the financial operations of the Library Development Program.

Dates

  • 1960-1973

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Deposited by the ATLA

Arrangement

  1. I. Administrative Material
  2. II. Related to Individual Institutions
  3. III. Financial Records

Related Materials

The Library Development Program operated out of the office of Dr. Raymond P. Morris, who was Librarian of the Yale Divinity School at the time, and chairman of the LDP. A Theological Book List was compiled by Dr. Morris to assist participating institutions in assessing their book holdings, and a Self-Study Guide was prepared to assist in library evaluation. Additional materials of Morris's relating to this project can be found in the Raymond Philip Morris papers (RG 80).

Extent

7 Linear Feet (15 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/divinity.081

Abstract

The records include correspondence, reports, and financial records related to the ATLA Library Development Program. The ATLA Library Development Program provided funds to strengthen the book collections of ninety North American theological libraries between 1961 and 1966. The program was directed by Raymond Morris, Librarian of the Yale Divinity School Library and funded by the Sealantic Fund.

Biographical / Historical

The primary objective of the Library Development Program of the American Theological Library Association was to strengthen book collections in North American theological libraries by enabling them to increase their book purchases. With the support of The Sealantic Fund, Inc., the Library Development Program provided more than $1,300,000 in book and related funds to ninety participating institutions during the period 1961 to 1966.

Each institution participating in the Library Development Program was challenged to increase its average annual book budget by as much as $3,000. Whatever the library spent in excess of its normal budget was matched by funds from The Sealantic Fund. Emphasis was placed on standards of quality and discrimination in book acquisition, as well as on effectiveness in library service. Each library was encouraged to engage in a critical analysis of its own services. In addition, the Library Development Program (LDP) made visitation teams available. The role of these teams was to spend a period of time at an institution and provide outside assessment of the quality of the library facilities and services. A total of sixty-nine institutions were visited by LDP teams.

The Library Development Program operated out of the office of Dr. Raymond P. Morris, who was Librarian of the Yale Divinity School at the time, and chairman of the LDP. A Theological Book List was compiled by Dr. Morris to assist participating institutions in assessing their book holdings, and a Self-Study Guide was prepared to assist in library evaluation.

Additional information about the procedures and results of the Library Development Program is available in nineteen bulletins issued by its administrative office, contained in Box 1, Folder 1 of the collection.

Title
Guide to the American Theological Library Association Library Development Program Records
Author
Compiled by Martha Lund Smalley and James M. Starr
Date
1988
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared According To Local Divinity Library Descriptive Practices
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Yale Divinity Library Repository

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