# Library for Modular ThM



## Damon Rambo (Dec 31, 2010)

Hello, all!

I have about 6 months left until I finish my M.Div., and I was planning on applying to Southern Seminary's Master of Theology program. They have a modular format, where you go to the main campus just a few weeks a year, so you can theoretically take it from anywhere.

One of the requirements, however, is that one has access to a major library for the purpose of theological research. Does anyone know a University in the Houston area (preferably the south side!), with a large amount of theological research material, that allows access to non-students?


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## Notthemama1984 (Dec 31, 2010)

In Houston you can access SWBTS, College of Biblical Studies (DTS funds this library so graduate level books are available), HBU, Rice, UofH, University of St. Thomas, and of course Houston Public. If you have a TexShare card (which are free at your local public library), you can get books from any of these.

Now a treasure that has just popped up is Lanier Theological Library. It is in NW Houston and you cannot check books out, but their selection is out of this world. Apparently a local lawyer decided that Houston needed a better theological library and basically built a library on his property that is better than pretty much everything else in Houston. Numerous DTS ThM guys go up there to research.

Check them out at Lanier Theological Library | Tours, Events, and Media of the Lanier Theological Library


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## Damon Rambo (Dec 31, 2010)

Chaplainintraining said:


> In Houston you can access SWBTS, College of Biblical Studies (DTS funds this library so graduate level books are available), HBU, Rice, UofH, University of St. Thomas, and of course Houston Public. If you have a TexShare card (which are free at your local public library), you can get books from any of these.
> 
> Now a treasure that has just popped up is Lanier Theological Library. It is in NW Houston and you cannot check books out, but their selection is out of this world. Apparently a local lawyer decided that Houston needed a better theological library and basically built a library on his property that is better than pretty much everything else in Houston. Numerous DTS ThM guys go up there to research.
> 
> Check them out at Lanier Theological Library | Tours, Events, and Media of the Lanier Theological Library



Thanks! For my M.Div., I have been able to get by with my own rather substantial library, the huge number of public domain books online, and ATLA. Honestly, it seems that most books, and nearly every journal publication, would be available through at least one of these resources. But I guess there are some really rare books that have not been made available in these formats, yet...


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## Notthemama1984 (Dec 31, 2010)

If one already has a "rather substantial library," huge number of public domain books, and access to ATLA, then why the OP?


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## Damon Rambo (Dec 31, 2010)

Chaplainintraining said:


> If one already has a "rather substantial library," huge number of public domain books, and access to ATLA, then why the OP?


 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary requires access to a library (University or Seminary), for entrance into their ThM program. As I said, there are surely a great number of rare books that are not available in such formats, anyway. With the narrow focus of a ThM, I imagine even with access to such resources, finding research material for a Thesis is difficult.

Also, most of my own library (10,000 + digital, plus a few hundred print) is general (Systematic Theologies, etc.), or popular (John Macarthur, Piper, etc.), which is not really useful for Post Grad thesis work.


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