Library & Educational Resources
Research is an essential component of the graduate theology program at Christendom, and we are committed to assisting our online/distance students to access the resources they need. Among the ways in which we do this are the following:
- Professors provide all the course readings that students need for online courses, either as included in the course materials of the virtual classroom, in the required texts which students purchase from the online bookstore, or in the form of internet resources. This ensures that even those students who do not live near an academic library have the resources they need for their course(s).
- Distance students can apply for a Christendom library card by simply requesting one in an email and providing minimal info (name, address, phone & email). This card enables them to use all services of the library, including checking out books.
- The catalog of the Christendom libraries is accessible on the Graduate Student Resource Center, and we ship requested books to online graduate students who have a Christendom library card, charging only the cost of secure shipping for this service.
- Christendom provides off-site access to the electronic resources of the Christendom libraries, allowing students to access journals and reference works via their home computers. These resources, along with video guides and instructions on how to use them, are available on the library web page. Distance students are urged to watch these tutorial videos on the library web page to learn how to access the online research materials.
- All graduate students may request that copies of journal articles from the Christendom library be sent to them via email; these can be requested using the ILLiad (inter-library loan) service on the library home page.
- Graduate students who wish to use an academic library in their local area may notify the Dean of the Graduate School who will write the librarian in support of this request.
- All graduate students are provided with the contact information of three Christendom librarians who are willing to assist them in their research.
- Distance students are given a special “library orientation” as part of their orientation materials.
- The Graduate Student Resource Center contains links to two videos produced by the Graduate School, one on “The Research Paper” and another titled “Footnote and Bibliographic Form for Christendom Papers.” Distance students are urged to view these videos to help them with their research and writing. These videos are required content of the research components of the prerequisite “Introduction to Theology” course.
- Another requirement of this research component of the prerequisite course is a series of activities that introduce the student to research tools such as online catalogs and resources and guide them in the developing of a theological bibliography using these resources.
- Distance students have access to library resources worldwide via the interlibrary loan service of the Christendom libraries.