Research Information

Mission
The Archives and Special Collections department of the James P. Boyce Centennial Library acquires and preserves rare books, manuscripts, Baptist church, association, and convention minutes, photographs, and institutional history. We support the research needs of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College community as well as assist outside researchers who seek to use our collections.

Hours
The Archives and Special Collections department is typically open Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm. The office closes with the rest of the library for chapel services during the semester on Tuesday and Thursday between 9:45am-11:15am. Researchers should call in advance to confirm availability.

Additional Information

Class Visits

The Archives is happy to host visits from church groups and classrooms of all ages. Teachers and group leaders can plan ahead through contacting Archives staff through telephone or email.  Archives staff is also happy to offer a tour to the seminary’s museum, also located on the 2nd floor of the James P. Boyce Centennial Library.

Contact Information

Hours
9 AM – 5 PM, Monday – Friday
Closed for campus chapel services between 9:45 AM – 11 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays during fall and spring semesters.

Address
Archives and Special Collections
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
2825 Lexington Road
Louisville, Kentucky 40206

Phone
(502)897-4573

Department Email
archives@sbts.edu

Staff Emails
Adam Winters–Archivist
Chris Fenner–Digital Archivist

Contact Form

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Duplication Policy

Patrons may request for materials to be duplicated by the Archives and Special Collections department. Duplication is allowed when requested material meets the following conditions:

  • All archives materials must remain in the Billy Graham Room at all times.
  • An archives worker must examine the condition of the materials to be duplicated.
  • If materials are in good condition, the patron may complete the Request For Photocopies Form. Archives employees will duplicate the requested materials as time and staffing allows.
  • Fragile materials may not be duplicated.
  • All duplication is subject to the posted schedule of fees.
  • The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the reproduction of copyrighted material.
  • All duplication should be for private study, scholarship, or research use only.
  • No copies of materials from our collections may be deposited in another institution without our express written permission.
  • Any patron wishing to publish material from the Archives and Special Collections must obtain permission from the archivist and from all holders of copyright.
  • The patron agrees to accept full responsibility for complying with copyright and privacy laws.
  • All duplication requests coming from off campus will be handled as time, staffing, and availability permit.

Schedule of Fees

Minimum charge

  • $10 minimum charge for any duplication request totaling less than 40 pages.

Printed Materials

  • $.50 per page for paper copies
  • $.25 per page for scans

Scanned Images

  • $2.00 per image

Burning a CD-R

  • $2.00 per disk

Location

The Archives and Special Collections department is located on the second floor of the Boyce Library in the Billy Graham Reading Room. The Billy Graham Room contains some memorabilia from the famous evangelist’s life and career. It also serves as a public reading room and work room for the Archives and Special Collections department.

Quotations

Access to the collections does not imply permission to quote from the collections in a published format. Researchers who desire to quote from our collections for a soon-to-be-published book, essay, or article are requested to seek written permission from the Archivist. Permission to quote should be noted in the publication and at least two copies of the published item should be deposited in the Boyce Library. Researchers quoting from these collections may also want to consult the Referencing Collections section of our website.

Referencing Collections

All references to archives or manuscript collections held by the Archives and Special Collections of the James P. Boyce Centennial Library should be referenced as

[Name of Collection], Archives and Special Collections, James P. Boyce Centennial Library, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

For example, the Charles Spurgeon Gardner Papers (a manuscript collection), would be referenced as:

Charles Spurgeon Gardner Papers, Archives and Special Collections, James P. Boyce Centennial Library, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

Additionally, any items referenced within one of these collections should also reference the title and date of the item, the series title or number (if applicable), followed by the above citation. For example, a specific sermon within the Charles Spurgeon Gardner Papers would be referenced as:

Centennial Sermon: Grace Church, 3 December 1933, Sermons, Charles Spurgeon Gardner Papers, Archives and Special Collections, James P. Boyce Centennial Library, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

For additional help in referencing collections, please consult The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition. Researchers referencing our collections in a publication should also consult our Quotations segment of the website.

Services

We seek to assist researchers in accessing the collections in this department for legitimate research purposes. Most of the collections are open and without restriction to research use. All reproduction is subject to our photocopy policy. Additionally, patrons may take notes in pencil on paper or by the use of a notebook computer. We do not lend any of our materials through Interlibrary Loan.

Due to our limited staffing, we are not able to comply with requests for genealogical information nor are we able to perform detailed research related to genealogical inquiries. For further information on the usefulness of Baptist church records for genealogical research, please consult Timothy Mohon, “The Joys and Frustrations of Researching Indiana Baptist Records,” Hoosier Genealogist 42:3 (Fall 2002): 138-145.

Archives and Special Collections Hours

Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

SBTS or government-issued ID required to enter.