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Archives and Special Collections at Southeastern: Discovering Archival Resources at Southeastern

This guide is designed to introduce researchers to Archives and Special Collections at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Discovering Resources in the Archives at Southeastern and Online

Many resources in the Archives at Southeastern can be discovered using some familiar library tools, such as WorldCat, by utilizing some archives specific search parameters. Others require the use of finding aids. Some archives and library resources available through SEBTS can even be discovered and viewed online. This page will help guide you through the discovery process and provide some helpful tips for productive searches.

Discovering Rare Books

Rare Books in the archives holdings have been individually cataloged. You can discover these works using Go Search and Worldcat.

Recommended Discovery Tool
GO Search

Search Tip
Start your search by entering a keyword, title, or author and refine your results using the filtered search boxes on the left side of the page to hone in on the most pertinent resources for your topic. For more information see our GO Search Research Guide.

Discovering Baptist Materials and Church Records

Most Baptist materials and church records in the archives holdings have been individually cataloged. You can discover these resources using Go Search and Worldcat. 

Search Tips
Start your search by entering as much information as possible (multiple keywords, keyword + author, limited date range, etc.) into an advanced search. Limit your search by Collection to "Baptist Materials Room" when searching for Baptist annuals and periodicals in the archives.

Discovery Tools

 

[Advanced Search]

GO Search searches for books, ebooks, journal articles, and more.

 

Databases:

Search for articles within all of our EBSCO databases.

  

[Advanced Search]  [WorldCat.org]

Search for books and materials available for interlibrary loan from other libraries.

  

[Advanced Search]

Search for dissertations from SEBTS and other schools in Proquest Dissertations

Helpful Search Limiters for Archives and Special Collections

Limit To
This filter is helpful in setting general parameters for your search.

  • Available in Library Collection: Limit your results to items available at SEBTS including archives holdings.
  • Publication Date: Limit your results by a date range if you are looking for primary sources created during a particular time period.

Source Type
This filter is helpful if you want to limit your results to a particular type of original format.

  • Books: Limit your results to books and remove journal articles, newspapers, etc.

Location
This filter is particularly helpful when trying to limit a search to specific portions of SEBTS archives holdings.

  • Baptist Materials Room: Limits your results to Baptist annuals, minutes, and periodicals.
  • Closed Shelves: Limits your results to rare books.
  • Sailhamer Library: Limits your results to the majority of John H. Sailhamer's books.
  • Sailhamer Rare: Limits your results to the rarest portions of John H. Sailhamer's library.

Content Provider
This filter is particularly helpful when searching for materials from online primary source databases such as American Theological Library Association (ATLA) Historical Monograph Series I and II, Early American Imprints (Content Provider Term: ReadEx), and Early English Books Online (Content Provider Term:
EEBO).

Format
This filter is helpful if you are focusing your research on a particular original format of material.

  • Archival material: Limit your results to materials that are part of archival holdings.
  • Sound recording: Limit your results to audio recordings. Note that audiobooks are omitted from this filter.

Year
This filter is particularly helpful if you have a specific year or date range within which you are focusing your research.

Discovering Personal Papers and Institutional Records

Personal papers and institutional records in the archives are described in finding aids which provide contextual information about the creation, acquisition, processing, and research guidelines for a particular collection. You can discover these resources at SEBTS by visiting our Finding Aids page.

Discovering Primary Sources in Databases

Primary sources in subscription databases such as Early American Imprints, Early English Books Online (EEBO), and American Theological Library Association (ATLA) Historical Monographs Series I and II, can be discovered and accessed online by SEBTS students, faculty, and staff through Go Search or by visiting the website for the particular database you want to search.

Recommended Discovery Tool
GO Search

Search Tip
Start your search by entering a keyword, title, or author and limit your search by "Content Provider" to the following.

  • American Theological Library Association (ATLA) Historical Monographs Collection: Series I
  • American Theological Library Association (ATLA) Historical Monographs Collection: Series II
  • EEBO (This will include Early English Books Online)
  • ReadEx (This will include Early American Imprints Series I and II)