How do I get in touch with the library staff?
Email us at library@ssw.edu, call us at 512-478-5212, or stop by when we're open at 606 Rathervue Place.
What makes the Harrison Library different from other academic libraries?
Harrison Library shares an online catalog with the Wright Learning & Information Center at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (APTS), which is a ten minute walk from Seminary of the Southwest (SSW). You have a lot of resources and study spaces in a small geographic area! Your SSW ID also serves as your library card at the Wright Center!
Other great features of the Harrison Library include a One Button Studio, Recording Studio, Wellness Room, closed carrels for quiet study, and meeting rooms with Zoom Room technology. The Center for Writing and the Arts is housed in the Harrison Library, and the library is right next door to the Southwest Bookstore and Trinity Crossing outdoor seating area. Come explore and let us know about your favorite feature!
What is the difference between the Koha Catalog and Seeker?
Think of Koha as an index of everything that resides physically in both the Harrison Library (SSW) and the Wright Center (APTS). Using Koha can be a really quick way of finding and placing a hold on physical books. It also includes most of our ebooks.
Seeker is a discovery tool from EBSCO that allows you to find resources that are print and electronic, owned by our library and not owned by our library. You will get many results, so it's good for discovering resources, hence the name discovery tool. Also, you need to use Seeker to find electronic journal articles because those don't appear in Koha.
How do I access the library's ebooks and other electronic resources from my device(s)?
Log into your Seminary of the Southwest Google account, log out of all other Google accounts, and then follow these instructions.
I'm having trouble using the library's discovery tool, Seeker. Can you help?
Yes! Whether you are new to Southwest or have been teaching here for many years, please take a look at our Seeker tutorials and reach out to the librarians if you desire more one-on-one conversation about optimizing Seeker for your work. Please use this form to request an appointment.
A book I need is not in your collection. What now?
Please write us at library@ssw.edu with information about the book and a link to it on the web, if possible.
Can I borrow books from APTS?
Yes! You can walk over to the Wright Center and check books out yourself. Bring your SSW ID card. You can also place holds on their books using Koha. Check out our instructional material for placing a hold in Koha.
Can I use APTS's and UT's electronic resources?
Yes, but only by visiting those libraries in person and using the e-resources while you are there. Take a look at our Guide to Austin Libraries libguide.
How does Interlibrary Loan (ILL) work?
Read all about ILL services on the Interlibrary Loan LibGuide.
May I suggest titles for you to purchase for the library collection?
Yes! Please do. Email us the details at library@ssw.edu. And if you are published or are about to be, please let us know.
I'm making a Populi page for my course. How can the library help me?
We have an entire page dedicated to these Populi FAQs. Read more here!
How do I get a library card at Seminary of the Southwest?
Your Seminary of the Southwest ID card serves as your library card. We use it to check out physical material to you. Your library card does not help you access e-resources. To access e-resources, read our Accessing eResources LibGuide.
What other libraries can I use?
You are surrounded by amazing libraries in Austin! Read all about your access to area libraries on this guide.
I'm about to publish an article in a scholarly journal that is not open access. What do I need to know?
Your institution, Seminary of the Southwest, will likely have to pay to access the article you wrote, and the cost to do that may be prohibitive. If you are not publishing in an open access journal, please consider asking the scholarly publisher if you can retain the copyright to your own work. It is now common for publishers to allow you to do this in either a pre-print or post-print copy. The more authors that ask for this right, the more pressure there is on publishers to grant this right to scholars.
Retaining the copyright to your work means you'd have the authority to allow Southwest to, one day, place the article in an institutional repository which will help your article find readers and help bring attention to the scholarship happening here at Southwest. We do not yet have an institutional repository, but we are actively seeking ways to begin one. Here's a Scientific American blog post that describes this in more detail, written by a librarian that works at SUNY Geneseo.
I need assistance with my scholarly or creative writing. Can the library help?
The librarians will consult with you on identifying and obtaining information resources for your project. For direction on scholarly and/or creating writing, we recommend you contact our colleagues in Southwest's Center for Writing and the Arts (CWA). The CWA offers writing support in the form of one-on-one consultations, long-term writing partnerships, monthly writing workshops, and print and digital resources.
I have a question and I don't know who to ask. Can you help?
Yes, we are happy to refer you to the right person to bring your question to. Ask away!