How (and why) to use the Atla Reciprocal Borrowing Program

What is a reciprocal borrowing program?

Duke Divinity School Library participates in the Atla Reciprocal Borrowing Program, which connects theological libraries across North America, and beyond! This means that students at Duke Divinity School can set up accounts to check out books at participating libraries. Similarly, Duke Divinity School Library now accepts patrons from other Atla schools.

Atla has created a map and a spreadsheet of participating libraries. You can use the map to track down libraries in your region. The spreadsheet has contact information for library staff as well as details they have included about their collections and their borrowing rules for Atla patrons. Consider contacting the library staff in advance of visiting an Atla library in order to verify their hours and policies.

Duke Divinity Students

Use the map or spreadsheet to find an Atla member library near you. Note that the spreadsheet includes basic borrowing rules for each institution (number of books you may check out, etc.) as well as the contact information for a librarian at that school. You will need to contact the librarian listed on the spreadsheet in order to learn their process for setting up an Atla borrower account, and you will need to provide them with proof that you are a current Duke Divinity student. Atla libraries may ask to see any of the following:

• Your DukeCard (add your mobile DukeCard to your device)
• An email from your librarians (contact divlib@duke.edu and we will help the Atla library confirm your status as a Duke student)
• Your access to Duke's online library resources (be prepared to log in with your NetID and password to show you have live access to Duke's materials)

Visitors to Duke Divinity School

If you come to the Divinity Library as a current student at an Atla-affiliated institution, please contact a member of the circulation staff (email divlib@duke.edu or use the form on our Ask a Librarian page) and we can create a local user profile for you. Please bring a school ID and proof of current enrollment with you on your first visit.

You will also need to set up a OneLink account in the Duke system. Your OneLink account will be your identifier at the Divinity School Library, and you can use it to log into your account online and renew your books.

Atla users at Duke can:

• Benefit from the Divinity Library’s on-site collection of 250,000 volumes
• Check out up to ten (10) books at one time from the Divinity School Library's circulating collection
• Have a 4-week lending period
• Renew your library books online (using your OneLink account)
• Make use of the Divinity Library’s Reference Room
• Make use of the in-building scanners (email and USB enabled)

Atla users at Duke cannot: 

• Access Duke's online resources
• Request scan and deliver
• Check out more than 10 books
• Check out items from reference, reserve, or special collections, or journals/periodicals
• Check out books from other Duke libraries
• Make use of InterLibrary Loans, TRLN, or BorrowDirect

Questions?

Email us at divlib@duke.edu or use the form on our Ask a Librarian page.

About Duke Divinity School Library

The Divinity Library collection is predominantly in the subject areas of biblical studies and doctrinal and practical Christian theology, as well as history of Christianity and Christian denominations, with smaller collections in other religions and philosophy. We have a robust collection on the history and theology of the Wesleys and Methodist/Wesleyan churches and movements.