The Library at Wesley Theological Seminary
At Wesley DC, the library is more than a collection of books — it’s a space for exploration, reflection, and engagement with the rich theological tradition of the Christian faith. Our mission is to support teaching, learning, and research in alignment with the seminary’s commitment to academic excellence and ministerial formation.
We believe a theology library should not simply store information but foster meaningful dialogue with the voices of the past and present. Whether you’re preparing a sermon, writing a research paper, or deepening your understanding of faith, we are here to support your journey.
Explore Our Resources
We’ve recently launched WorldCat Discovery, our new online catalog and discovery tool. With this upgraded system, you can easily search, find, and access theological resources from Wesley and libraries around the world.
Need help navigating the new system?
Visit our WorldCat Discovery User Guide for step-by-step instructions and search tips.
Let us be your partner in theological study — from your first assignment to your final project.
Returning Library Materials
In requesting library materials, borrower’s assume responsibility for their care and prompt return by the due date. There are three ways to return your materials.
- To return your items during normal operating hours:
- bring them to the Circulation & Information Services Desk.
- use the internal book drop slot at the Circulation & Information Services Desk.
- To return your items after normal operating hours, use the external library book drop slot facing the campus courtyard.
- Mail the materials to the library with tracking at your expense. The tracking number protects you from assuming the costs for items lost in the mail.
WorldCat Discovery and Online Resources
Search Tools
WorldCat Discovery Service (WDS)
WorldCat Discovery is the library’s new online catalog and discovery service. With a single search, library users can discover resources of various formats at the library and libraries worldwide. In addition to providing access to the library’s subscribed electronic resources, WorldCat Discovery acts as a gateway to “more than 76 million” open access resources “from sources like the HathiTrust, Oxford University Press, Project Gutenberg, and more.” Use WorldCat Discovery to find books, media, D.Min. project papers, journals, eBooks, eJournals, and databases.
Course Reserves
The library places course textbooks and other faculty requests on Course Reserves. The material has a specific loan period (usually two-hours) to ensure that all students have access to required readings. Use the WorldCat Discovery Course Reserves feature to view searchable lists of courses with items that are on reserve. To find eBook versions of required texts, use the
WorldCat Discovery Service (WDS)
[Course Reserves lists may not contain all required course readings. Refer to the current course syllabus.]
Biblical Interpretation Resource Guide
This guide outlines specific resources that may be helpful for biblical interpretation.
Online Resources
Online Resources Guide
This guide provides an alphabetical list of and individual access to article databases, eBook collections, commentaries, journals, dictionaries, and encyclopedias. Off campus access requires a My Wesley username and password.
Off Campus Access
This guide provides instructions on how to access online resources from off campus.
Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials PLUS
This database provides access to full-text articles and journals on religious and theology.
Atla Scripture Search
The Atla Scripture Search is a feature of the Alta Religion Database to help users discover articles on specific books, chapters, and verses of the Christian Bible.
Journals in Discovery A-Z
This guide provides an alphabetized list of the library’s subscription journals and database collections.
Doctor of Ministry
D.Min. Project Papers Guide
This guide has information on finding previous D.Min. project papers. The guide also has instructions for formatting D.Min. project papers.
D.Min. Handbook & Style Guide
The handbook and style guide provide guidance and instructions on how to format the D.Min. project paper for submission to the library.
Library Operations
Access
The library building, collections and in-person services are available to students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the general public. By reservation, the library classroom is available to faculty, staff, and students for meetings and group study. Currently, the seminar room is not be available for use. However, the library lounge is opened.
Seating
Seating is available throughout the library for use. While the first floor is a mixed space for study and moderate conversation, the basement and second floors are designated quite zones.
Staff Availability
In addition to in-person assistance, library staff will provide remote assistance by Zoom appointments and email (please allow 1-3 business days for a response).
Returning/Renewing Library Materials
To avoid disruption to your borrowing privileges, return or renew borrowed materials by their due date. See Returning Library Materials and Renewing Borrowed Materials for details and instructions.
Further details are available at Library Operations and Services.
Library Services
Available Services
The following in-person services are available to most library users:
- borrowing library materials
- Obtain or renew library borrower’s account
- self-checkout
- access to public computers
- document scanning (no cost)
- document printing (available only to WTS students, faculty, and staff through PaperCut)
Course Reserves
The Course Reserves service is designed to make assigned course texts available and accessible to students each semester. While physical texts are held in the Course Reserve collection in the library, electronic texts may be available through the WorldCat Discovery Service (WDS) at Wesley as well.
See Course Reserves for details and instructions.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and Document Delivery
WTS students, faculty, and staff are eligible for ILL and Document Delivery services. See ILL and Document Delivery for details and instructions.
Materials Request and Pickup (by appointment)
The library offers a materials pickup service for WTS students, faculty, and staff. See Materials Request and Pickup for details and instructions.
Materials Mail Delivery
With a few exceptions, the library will mail requested materials to WTS students, faculty, and staff living in the continental U.S. See Materials Mail Delivery for details and instructions.
Further details are available at Library Operations and Services.
Reserve Library Meeting Spaces
Library Meeting Spaces
The Seminar Room(L-104), Classroom (L-105), and Godsey Room* may be reserved to serve the teaching and learning needs of the library and the educational mission of the Wesley Theological Seminary. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators of the seminary may reserve each space for meetings and group study.
*Only WTS faculty and staff may reserve the Godsey Room for individual and group use. At the discretion of library staff, the Godsey Room may be used for WTS student spiritual formation groups if other spaces are not available.
The Seminar and Godsey Rooms will be unavailable for reservation 2023-2025.
See Reserve a Meeting Space for details and reservations.
Help and Technical Support
Library Staff
Library staff are available to help you find resources (print and digital), use databases, conduct research, and address library account issues.
In addition to in-person assistance, library staff will be available to provide remote assistance by Zoom appointment and email. Contact the library by phone (202) 885-8695 or email library@wesleyseminary.edu (allow 1-3 business days for a response).
Technical Support
My Wesley Accounts
The library does not issue or manage the My Wesley Account. If you have difficulties with your username, password, or access to the My Wesley portal, contact WingSwept, the seminary IT support group.
Students: studenthelp@wingswept.com
Faculty and staff: support@wingswept.com
Library Borrower’s Accounts
The library creates and manages borrower’s accounts. The library account is not the same as the My Wesley account and has a different username and password. Typically, the Wesley ID serves as the borrower’s card for WTS students, faculty, and staff. In the absence of a Wesley ID, the library will issue alternative cards for borrower’s.
If you experience problems with your borrower’s account, contact the library by phone (202) 885-8695 or email library@wesleyseminary.edu.
Blackboard
The library does not manage access to Blackboard. Please contact Blackboard Support for assistance.
Accessing Online Resources
If you are in the library, you can access the library’s online resources without a username and password. If you are off campus, however, you will need a My Wesley username and password. Remote access to the library’s online resources is limited to WTS students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
If you are experiencing problems with remote access to the library’s online resources, library staff can help you to identify the nature of the issue and direct you on the best course for resolution. Contact the library by phone (202) 885-8695 or email library@wesleyseminary.edu.
Access
The library building, collections and in-person services are available to students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the general public. By reservation, the library classroom is available to faculty, staff, and students for meetings and group study. Currently, the seminar room is not be available for use. However, the library lounge is opened.
Seating
Seating is available throughout the library for use. While the first floor is a mixed space for study and moderate conversation, the basement and second floors are designated quite zones.
Staff Availability
In addition to in-person assistance, library staff will provide remote assistance by Zoom appointments and email (please allow 1-3 business days for a response).
Returning/Renewing Library Materials
To avoid disruption to your borrowing privileges, return or renew borrowed materials by their due date. See Returning Library Materials for details and instructions.
Renewing Borrowed Materials
All borrowers have the option to renew the borrowing term of checked out materials. Your borrowing category determines the number of renewals available to you. There are four ways to renew borrowed materials.
- Online – You may renew soon-to-be-due materials online using your library account. The library account is separate from the My Wesley account and can be obtained only through the library.
- Go to the WorldCat Discovery Service at Wesley.
- Click the Sign in link.
- Enter the barcode located on your borrower’s card and password. (If you do not know your barcode and password, contact the library for assistance.
- Email – Send a request for renewal by email to library@wesleyseminary.edu.
- Phone – Call the Circulation Desk (202-885-8695) to request renewals.
- In-person – Bring the items to the Circulation and Information Services Desk for renewal.
Please note, you may not be able to renew items under the following circumstances: the items are long overdue; the items have been recalled; the items have accrued excessive overdue fines; or your borrowing privileges have lapsed.
Course Reserves
The Course Reserves service is designed to make faculty assigned course texts available and accessible to students each semester. While physical texts are held in the Course Reserves collection in the library, electronic texts may be available through the WorldCat Discovery Service (WDS) at Wesley as well.
During operating hours, physical texts may only be used in the library for a 2 hour period with renewals. Items checked out within 2 hours of the library closing may be checked out overnight or over the weekend and are due the next business day by 9:30 a.m.
When using the Course Reserves collection, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Search Course Reserves to determine if a physical copy of the required text is in the Course Reserves collection. You can search by course or instructor.
- The faculty syllabi will have a list of required and recommended readings.
- The collection contains only physical books or media (e.g. DVDs) owned by the library.
- Due to publisher or vendor supply, the library may not have a particular text in its collection. The library will work with faculty to resolve the issue.
- The library may have access to an electronic version of the required text. Use the WorldCat Discovery Service (WDS) at Wesley to search for accessible eBooks in the library collection.
The Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery service facilitates access to materials that the seminary library does not have in its own collection. Wesley Theological Seminary faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students may borrow materials from other libraries through ILL/Document Delivery.
Requests
Requests for the following items will be processed:
- physical books
- articles, book chapters, essays, and reviews
Requests for the following items will not be processed:
- material already owned by the library at the Wesley Theological Seminary
- media in any format
- entire journals, periodicals, and newspapers
Limitations
When submitting requests, be aware of the following:
- Due to the ongoing coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, ILL/Document Delivery requests may take longer to process.
- Response and delivery times are subject to the operations of other libraries.
- ILL requests for physical books can take 10-14 days for processing and delivery.
- 1-3 day requests for physical books cannot be processed.
- All ILL requests for physical books must be picked up; the library will not mail them.
- The library may try to obtain an eBook version of a request if it is not available through ILL.
- ILL requests for articles, book chapters, essays, and reviews can take 3-14 business days for processing and delivery.
- 1-3 day requests for articles, book chapters, essays, and reviews cannot be processed.
- All ILL requests for articles, book chapters, essays, and reviews will be available electronically.
Materials Request and Pickup
Wesley students, faculty, and staff may request library materials to be prepared for pickup. Use the Library Materials Pickup Request Form to submit requests.