Library

Who may borrow from Kellar Library?

Students

Those enrolled in classes at BMA Seminary are entitled to a library card. The card will be issued by the library upon proof of enrollment.  Cards will be mailed to online students.

Faculty

All faculty and staff members are issued library cards for the length of their employment at BMA Seminary.

Jacksonville Residents

Residents and Pastors in Jacksonville and the surrounding area may borrow from Kellar Library. A fee of $5.00 will be charged for a library card. Current address and telephone number will be required at the time the card is issued.

BMA Pastors and Laymen

BMA Pastors and Laymen in distant cities and states may borrow from Kellar Library by paying the $5.00 charge for the library card and the postage to mail the materials back to the library.  Contact the library about these privileges.

• There is no limit on materials to be checked out of the library in person, as long as materials are returned and they are in good condition.
• Distance students requesting books to be shipped are limited to seven (7) books to keep postage costs down.
• There is a $5.00 replacement charge for all lost cards.
• There is a $2.00 annual renewal fee for non-student and non-faculty card holders.

Circulation Policy

• Books may be checked out for four weeks.
• Reference books and Periodicals may be checked out overnight when permission is received from the Library Director.
• Audiocassettes, Games, Kits, Microform, Pictures, Videocassettes, and DVDs are checked out for one week unless it is required for a correspondence course.
• Audiocassette players and Overhead projector are checked over night.
• NOTE: Renewals may be made at the library or by e-mail or telephone.

Fines and Fees

• Print and Audiovisual Materials: 10 cents per day.
• Reference books:­ 10 cents per hour starting at 10:00 a.m. on the day following check-out day.
• Audiocassette players:­ $1.00 rental charge per day.
• Overhead projector:­ $5.00 rental charge per day.
• Fee for videocassettes not rewound at the time of return:­ $1.00
• NOTE: There is NO grace period on fines and fees.

REMINDER:

Library materials are not for sale. If an item is lost, the charge is the replacement cost plus $5.00 processing fee. Overdue fines, if any, are in addition to the replacement fee and processing fee. If an item is damaged, the charge is determined by the Library Director and may include a rebinding fee.

Distance Lending Policy

• Distance education students are allowed to borrow up to seven books at a time by mail.
• Distance education students are expected to pay shipping costs from their location.
• Books circulate for four weeks, beginning when the book is checked out at the circulation desk, and will not be considered returned until the library receives them.
• Unpaid fines and shipping costs will result in a hold on the student’s account at the end of a semester and the student will not be able to receive grades or transcripts until the amount is paid.
• This policy applies to books. All other circulating formats must be approved on a case-by-case basis.
• BMA Pastors and Laymen in distant cities and states may borrow from Kellar Library by paying the $5.00 charge for the library card and the postage to mail the materials back to the library.  Contact should be made with the library about these privileges.

 Pen Pendleton Collection located in Reference sectionThe general book collection has no letters preceding the call number.
Special collections have the following letters preceding the call number:

• AC ­ Audio cassettes — located in Periodical room in the fourth moving shelf
• Atlas ­ Atlases — Atlas stand
• BB ­ Baptist Biography — Vertical files on BMA ministers in Microform room
• BMA ­ Baptist Missionary Association writers ­ — Books by and about BMA of America in Meadows Room
• CD ­ Compact Disks – located in Periodical room in the fourth moving shelf
• DVD Digital Video Disk – located in Periodical room in the fourth moving shelf
• Film ­ Films –­ 16 mm films ­ located in Technical Services room
• FS ­ Filmstrips ­ located in the Audiovisual room
• GM ­ Games ­ located in the Audiovisual room
• JL ­ Juvenile Literature ­ located at the beginning of the general collection
• KT ­ Kits ­ located in the Audiovisual room
• LS ­ Library Science ­ located in Technical Services and are for in-library use
• Micf ­ Microfilm located in Microform Room
• Micfh ­ Microfiche ­ located in Microform Room
• Pen Pendleton Collection located in Reference section
• Per ­ Bound Periodicals ­ located in the Periodical room
• PT ­ Pictures —­ Christian education picture packets located in the Audiovisual room
• Q ­ Oversized Books ­ located at the end of reference and at the end of the general collection
• R ­ Reference ­ located in the Reading room
• RB ­ Rare Books ­ located in Grimsley Building
• RR ­ Ready Reference —­ these are periodical indexes located at the beginning of bound periodicals
• SL ­ Slides­ located in the Audiovisual room
• Spu ­ Spurgeon Collection — books by or about C.H. Spurgeon located behind the island in the Reading room
• SR ­ Sound Recordings —­ these are long-play music recordings located in the Audiovisual room
• TP ­ Transparencies ­ located in the Audiovisual room
• VC ­ Video Cassettes – located in Periodical room in the fourth moving shelf
• VF ­ Vertical File ­ located in hallway between the Microform room and the Audiovisual room
• All collections, except portions of the general and the periodical collections, are on the computer

Library Internet Access Policy

Disclaimer: Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary is not responsible for the content of any of the websites accessed from these pages or from any other links you may encounter.

• You must be a student, faculty member or staff member of the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary.
• Kellar Library has an Internet Access Policy. The policy should be read before using Library computers.
• You should have a general knowledge of Windows-based software. If you do not know how to use Windows-based software, you should become acquainted with its use before using seminary computers.
• Please note that the library staff cannot give individual computer instruction. There are starting points (or links) set up on the library’s homepage, and we will assist you in locating these.

The objective of Kellar Library is to assemble, organize, preserve, and make readily available significant books and other enriching materials of various media which will provide information and education for BMA Seminary students and faculty, as well as the community. Kellar Library will also cooperate with other libraries in the Southwest Area Theological Library Association in order to provide the widest range of access to resources in addition to the local collection.

• Kellar Library seeks to make information available in a wide variety of formats, including print and audiovisual materials. In addition, the library’s computer system provides access to information in different electronic formats, including CD-ROM and online.
• Internet access makes it possible for the library to provide information to students, faculty, and community beyond its walls. Information, ideas, and commentary can now be quickly accessed from around the world.
• The Internet is an unregulated medium. While it offers access to a wealth of materials that are personally, professionally, and culturally enriching to people of all ages, it also enables access to some materials that may be disturbing, offensive, and/or illegal.
• The purpose of making Internet access available in Kellar Library is to enhance the library’s current collection and to include access to resources which are physically unavailable from around the state, nation and the world.
• Kellar Library provides primary access to the Internet through web browsers, which also includes Internet-searching capabilities. The library also provides access to e-mail for students and faculty members.
• The library staff will identify specific starting points for information searches on the library’s homepage which are appropriate to the objective and service roles of Kellar Library. It should be noted, however, that the library cannot monitor or control material accessed beyond the links provided on our homepage; therefore, we cannot guarantee the appropriateness of any pages beyond our own.
• While patrons are encouraged to use the Internet, the information needed may be more easily obtained through the library’s more traditional resources. Library staff will assist users in locating these materials.
• The library is not responsible for inadvertent exposure by minors or adults to potentially offensive material accessed by Internet users on library equipment. Because the library cannot fully control or monitor the large amount of material accessible through the Internet, it will be the responsibility of individual users to determine the suitability of the content of information received.

Internet Guidelines

The following guidelines are agreed upon by each patron using library computers:

• Use of library computers is on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments will be taken.
• Library computers are available for use by all card-holding members in good standing of Kellar Library.
• Library computers are available during all library operating hours.
• While the library staff is happy to assist users in accessing the Internet, each user is nevertheless responsible for his/her own search. The staff cannot provide in-depth personal training in the use of the Internet or personal computers.
• The library staff will not perform reference searches on the Internet at the request of telephone customers.
• Library computers are in a semi-public area, and privacy is not guaranteed. The user is ultimately responsible for which sites he/she may choose to visit, but be aware that others may be involuntarily exposed to what is displayed. Please show respect for the sensibilities of other patrons at all times.
• Materials obtained or copied from the Internet may be subject to copyright laws (Title 17, U.S. Code). A work protected by copyright may not be copied without permission of the copyright owners, except as permitted by principles of “fair use.” Any responsibility for the consequences of copyright infringement lies with the user.
• When you have finished with your session, please close the browser and leave the computer ready for the next user.

Unacceptable Internet Use

Use of library computers must be compatible with the mission and standards of Kellar Library. The library reserves the right to suspend the Internet access privileges of any person found guilty of “unacceptable use” of the library’s property.

• Damaging, tampering with, “hacking” or destroying equipment, software, or data belonging to the library; including adding, altering, or deleting files on library workstation hard drives or other library computer equipment.
• Violating computer system integrity, including attempts to bypass security functions, obtain passwords, or alter the configuration of library workstations in any way.
• Using the Internet for any illegal or immoral activity.
• Harassing others.
• Wasting finite resources (including printing without paying).

Adopted by the Library Committee, Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary, November 23, 1999.

Can’t find the book you need at our library? Don’t worry, we can still help!

Through an arrangement with other libraries, we can access materials not currently available in our collection. Under the Interlibrary Loan program, we can often locate unusual or out of print items for your use. The process can take from two to four weeks, and all you have to pay is the return postage!

Requests for Interlibrary Loan must be made at the circulation desk, where our staff will take down the information needed to request your item. Please provide as much information about the item as possible; such as the author, title, publisher and year of publication or edition. The more information we can supply about what you want, the faster it can be found!

When your item arrives, or if we are unable to locate it, we will call you if you wish; otherwise, we will send you a notice. Please pick up your items soon as possible; as we have to return it to the lending library. If you wait too long, we have to mail it back…and you still have to pay!

Unfortunately, not everything is available through Interlibrary Loan. For example, most books are not available until they have been released for at least six months. Other materials that are difficult to obtain are sound recordings and periodicals, but many libraries will make photocopies of articles. You will be charged for the photo copies.

For more information about Interlibrary Loan, call (903) 586-2501, or stop by the Circulation Desk during normal operating hours. We will be more than happy to help you find what you are looking for.

1957 When the North American Theological Seminary opened its doors in the Fall of 1957, there was not one book in its library. The first book was accessioned in November. Jacksonville College librarian, Orland Jack Wages, assisted Dr. and Mrs. John Gregson in setting up the seminary library. The Student Center served as the first library quarters.

1958 William Charles Pruitt, Jr. was elected as the first librarian and began serving that fall. He served in this position until 1972.

1961 The seminary board accepted President Gerald Kellar’s proposal to construct a separate library building that would hold an estimated 25,000 volumes. Formal opening of the Kellar Library, named in honor of Dr. Gerald Kellar by the seminary board, was February 18, 1964. Some 4,300 volumes of books were moved from the Student Center to the new library building.

1971 Seminary president John W. Gregson was successful in obtaining funds from Jacksonville business men to raise $30,000 to purchase books, periodicals, indexes and an additional $10,000 for the purchase of shelves and card catalog cabinets. The name of the seminary was changed from North American Theological Seminary to Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary.

1972 James C. Blaylock, who had worked as a library assistant since 1966, was elected as acting librarian when Dr. Pruitt left his position as librarian in 1972. After Blaylock received his Master of Library Science degree, at Texas A & M-Commerce in 1980, he was elected as library director and continued to serve until his retirement in 2018. Library holdings had increased to 11,000 volumes and a trustee committee was selected to study and devise a plan for library facility enlargement.

1978 The library became a member of the American Theological Library Association and the director began attending annual sessions of the ATLA. The library reached 20,000 volumes that year. Because of space problems some books had to be stored in former library shelves in Student Center.

1979 This year was designated by seminary president John W. Duggar and the seminary board as a year of special offerings for the seminary library expansion.

1980 When $80,000 had been raised, construction began on the library addition and was completed later in that same year. The seminary board named the addition the John W. Duggar Library Annex.

1981 The library began charging out materials on the new Gaylord Book Charger system.

1987 A cataloging software computer program, Bib-Base, was installed. Later the Public Access Catalog of Bib-Base was put into use in the library.

1991 Seminary president Philip R. Bryan, initiated the annual friends of the library campaign, called Scroll and Parchment Society, to raise funds to purchase library books. The goal of 50,000 books in the library was reached in April.

1993 With all media cataloged since 1987 on the public access on-line catalog, and because of lack of card catalog space, the card catalog was closed. Retro-conversion of materials prior to 1987 to the on-line catalog then began.

1995 The library subscribed to the ATLA Religion Indexes on CD-ROM. This database indexes religion periodical literature. The ATLA Religion Indexes later became available online and continue to be used in that form.

1998 The library subscribed to OCLC FirstSearch Databases, which gives the school access to a variety of databases, which can be used to find books, articles, films, computer software, internet resources, and other materials.

2002 The library received access to ATLAS, a full text periodical database, from the American Theological Library Association. Students and faculty are able to locate and use full-text periodical articles via the Internet.

2003 The DOS-based cataloging software in use since 1987 was replaced by Athena, a Windows-based software program. The new software program included the library’s first automated circulation software, making it possible to check out materials by way of the computer. The library catalog was placed on the school’s website, giving access to the catalog by way of the Internet.

2004 The library has 66,800 books (which includes 8,342 volumes of bound periodicals), 5,444 audio tapes, 762 video tapes, 543 microfiche, 349 microfilm, 8,426 yearbooks and minutes, and other items. There are 84,135 items in 26 collections in the library.

2018 Jacob Gucker, who had been Assistant Librarian for a number of years, became Acting Librarian after James C. Blaylock retired after more than fifty-two years of service to Kellar Library. Mr. Gucker has a Master of Library Information Services and has led the digital revolution that now makes the resources of Kellar Library available to students around the globe.

2021 Mr. Gucker resigned from serving as the Acting Librarian to pursue other opportunities. Phillip Waddell became Acting Assistant Library Director and continues to lead Kellar Library into a greater digital presence that serves all students, no matter their location.