Overview
| Repository: |
Yale University Divinity School Library
409 Prospect Street New Haven, CT 06511 Email: divinity.library@yale.edu Phone: (203) 432-5301 |
| Call Number: | Record Group No. 81 |
| Creator: | American Theological Library Association. |
| Title: | Archives of the American Theological Library Association Library Development Program, |
| Dates: | 1960-1973 |
| Physical Description: | Total archival boxes 15; total linear footage 7' |
| Language(s): | Materials in English. |
| Summary: | 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. |
| View/Search: | To view and/or search the entire finding aid, see the Full HTML or the Printable PDF. |
| Finding Aid Link: | To cite or bookmark this finding aid, use the following address: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/divinity.081 |
| Request Materials: | To view manuscript and archival materials at the Yale Divinity Library, please submit the request form at http://www.library.yale.edu/div/request.htm. |
| Catalog Record: | A record for this collection may be available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog. |
Administrative Information
Provenance
Deposited by the ATLA
Information about Access
Open to qualified researchers.
Cite As
Archives of the American Theological Library Association Library Development Program, Record Group No. 81, Special Collections, Yale Divinity School Library.
Historical Sketch
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 $3000. 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.
Description of the Papers
I. Administrative
material
II. Related to
individual institutions
III. Financial
records.
Series I contains documents and correspondence which relate to the general operations of the LDP. 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.