About the DTL

Mission

The mission of the DTL is to support the library resource needs for scholars and students of religion. The DTL is member-funded, nonprofit corporation whose mission is entirely non-commercial. All assets of the DTL are permanently and irrevocably dedicated to charity.

Supporting members—both institutional and individual—receive access to one of the DTL’s libraries as a member benefit.

History

The DTL began as a conversation over lunch. Dr. Thomas E. Phillips, then dean of the library at Claremont School of Theology, and Mr. Gamward Quan, then CFO at Claremont School Theology, were talking about the difficulties associated with building a quality research library at a small theological seminary.

Those challenges are well-known: the content (both print and digital) is expensive; expert staffing is difficult to train and retain; and carrying costs for collections can be exorbitant.

Mr. Quan suggested that we needed to think very differently about libraries. He suggested that we create an independent nonprofit corporation with the mission of creating one co-owned library for a large group of small seminaries. This corporation could then centralize operations for a cohort of seminaries, thereby vastly expanding access while reducing costs. That conversation took place in October of 2015.

The DTL was formed in January of 2016 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Our first library, The Original DTL, went live on July 1, 2016, largely thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Drew Baker, then metadata librarian at Claremont School of Theology.

As of 2023, the DTL operates five separate libraries:

• The Original DTL (closed to new members)
• The Global DTL (now accepting new institutional members in developing nations)
• The DTL 2 (now accepting new institutional members)
• The Open Access DTL (free for all persons everywhere)
• The Seminary Bookshelf (individual subscription access)

Core Values

Although the DTL is non-confessional, the DTL board has affirmed the following core values:

• Consistent truthfulness in all its interactions with its members and vendors
• Treatment of all people as we would wish to be treated
• Respect for each school’s individual and unique mission
• Regard for the stability and sustainability of the DTL
• Commitment to co-ownership of the DTL and partnership for mutual advantage
• Desire for service beyond the narrow confines of the DTL membership