These materials are not shelved together in the library but are shelved throughout appropriate subject areas.

Through the continued gifts and direction of a generous local donor, Samford University Library maintains a collection of works by and about C. S. Lewis (1898-1963). The collection encompasses a catalog of novels, poems, theological and philosophical monographs, literary criticism, children's books, essays, and memoirs by this highly influential Christian scholar. Its scope includes adding works in other media, replacing lost or damaged titles, and adding secondary works deemed useful to the curricula at Samford.

It's hard to overestimate the influence Lewis had and continues to have on generations of scholars and the public. His science fiction, children's literature, and devotional works persist in popularity, while his scholarly works continue to be studied and analyzed. Derivative works such as movies and plays entice young audiences and lay the foundation of a generous and beautiful Christian theology. Lewis' prodigious body of work can be found throughout the library.

Books and media in the collection may be found by searching C S Lewis Collection in a catalog title field search.

The University Library houses a dispersed collection of titles suggested by Samford's Center for Science and Religion. Books and media are added at the recommendation of the Center's Senior Fellows and are noted in the catalog with an additional title. Books and media in the collection may be found by searching for Center for Science and Religion in a catalog title field search.

These materials are not shelved together in the library but are shelved throughout appropriate subject areas.

The Children's Collection contains a selection of children's and juvenile materials (including Caldecott award winning books) that serve Samford's Education curriculum and the special needs of our patrons. As of January 2022, the collection numbered over 1,000 books. They are located on the first floor. (see map, legend Children's)

The Core Texts Curriculum is a two-semester course sequence, taken by all Samford University students. These courses survey great works of literature, philosophy, history, and theology, and they demonstrate the relevance of such works for the 21st century. The curriculum inspires students to read, think, discuss, and write about important ideas that have shaped our world. Every culture seeks to explain human nature, the natural world, religion, and political community. Samford's Core Texts Curriculum ensures that students understand this quest through meaningful critical thought. Fall semester introduces texts from ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Early Christianity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Spring semester surveys the Early Modern Period, the Enlightenment, and the ideological struggles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Core Texts collection supports this curriculum.

Core Texts are available on the 1st floor of the University Library. (see map, legend Core Text)

Search Samford Libraries Catalog

The Catalog will forward you to the Advanced Keyword Search if your search term(s) are not found. *Be sure to change Location on the Advanced Keyword Search to limit your results to Core Texts.

Samford University Library houses a growing collection of Electronic Resources. Over 100 journal indices and other electronic databases are accessible in the Library and campus-wide. Most are also available to currently affiliated Samford faculty, students, and staff accessing the Internet from home. Assistance in using electronic databases can be obtained from the Ask Us service desk on the second floor (maps).

How to Find Government Information

The Government Documents Collection is housed on the second floor (maps) of the Library. The library is a selective depository for the US Government, with documents dating back to 1884. In exchange for receiving these documents free of charge, we agree to provide free public access to these publications, regardless of format. Certain documents, such as the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Federal Register, the United States Code and the Statues at Large, are available in the Beeson Law Library.

We receive approximately 30% of all publications available through the Federal Depository Library Program, basing our selections on the needs of the Samford community as well as the residents of the 6th Congressional District of Alabama. We also take into consideration the collections of the Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham Southern College, and Jefferson State Community College, three other Birmingham area depositories.

These publications may be identified and located through specialized indices available in the Government Documents Department. Documents published after 1976 are accessible through the library's catalog.

Books are arranged by Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) order. Most documents circulate to the Samford community. All interlibrary Loan requests are filled at the discretion of the Documents Librarian.

A few key NON-CIRCULATING titles are: the Decennial Census, the Congressional Record, the Federal Register and the U.S. Serial Set. Periodicals and Reference materials do not circulate.

We consider the strongest areas of our collection to be:

• Congressional publications
• Census Bureau
• Department of Defense
• Department of Education
• Department of Health and Human Services

In partnership with the Birmingham Philhellene Society, Samford University Library houses a repository collection representing an appreciation of Hellenic culture, thought, art and letters. The Hellenic materials enhance and support existing University curricular programs and provide a unique specialized collection. The intent is for the materials to become a lasting legacy in the Birmingham community.

The Hellenic Scholars' Library is located on the lower level by Special Collection (see map), legend Hellenic.

Other Resources

National Hellenic Museum Chicago

Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection at the California State University, Sacramento Library

Onassis Cultural Center

The University Library subscribes to approximately 1,000 journals, serials, and newspapers. Holdings are listed and searchable in the Samford Libraries Catalog. The Library also provides access to hundreds of e-journals and over a thousand online newspapers via its News and Newspapers Online service.

The Marla Haas Corts Missionary Biography Collection, a gift to Samford by Thomas E. Corts, 17th President of Samford University, in honor of his wife and in appreciation of her service to Samford, contains biographies of Christian missionaries.

The collection was first assembled in 1999 with a nucleus of volumes from the Corts' personal collection, garnered from their international travels, and has been added to since. It includes biographies of Christian missionaries such as Lottie Moon, Albert Schweitzer, and others both familiar and less well known.

The collection is housed on the second floor of the university library, in an alcove reading area between Government Documents and Theology. (see map, legend MHCMB)

The Multimedia area of the University Library is located on the main level beside the Circulation Desk and provides educational and music resources, information, and services required by students, faculty, and staff. Our unified collection consists of sound recordings, video recordings, dvds, scores, and books. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to come to the University Library to listen to and view sound and video materials and to check out books and scores.

Multi-Media also maintains an assortment of media equipment. This list includes slide projectors, overhead projectors, screens, digital video cameras, and LCD projectors all available for checkout. Some inhouse use items only include TVs, VCRs, compact disc players, record players, and tape decks.

Circulation of multimedia equipment varies for patron types. While most of the equipment may be checked out by faculty and staff, only students may check out video cameras, and LCD projectors. Faculty and staff may check out these items from the Technology in Learning Center. Special patrons may not check out any equipment.

For further information concerning the Multi-Media's collection or equipment availability, please call 726-2748.

The Reference Collection is located with Reference and Research Services department on the second floor of the Library's north wing. The collection consists of indices and abstracts, encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, guides, CD-ROM products and other reference books. Items do not circulate. For assistance, visit the Ask Us service desk on the second floor (maps).

How to Find Course Reserves | Services Course Reserves

Reserves is located on the first floor, at the Circulation Main Desk. It contains current reserve materials. Faculty place items, including library books, photocopies, personal books, and some types of audio-visual materials on reserve for courses.

Primary and secondary materials focusing on Alabama and the Southeastern United States, including a large resource for Alabama Baptist materials, are located in Special Collection on the lower level. Resources include church materials, congregational and regional records, maps, local historical and genealogical periodicals, newspapers, census records, family histories and various audio visuals.

Also maintained is the Albert Casey Collection, an Irish Historical Collection, primarily focusing on the counties Cork and Kerry. Items do not circulate.

University Archives

How to Find University Archives

The Howard College/Samford University Archives is part of Special Collection on the lower level of the University Library. Most materials housed in the Archives do not appear in the Library Catalog. Materials of faculty, students and alumni are collected and stored in the Archives. Some of the materials included in the collection are catalogs since 1845, the matriculation schedule, Entre Nous beginning in 1909, The Crimson, Doctorate of Ministry projects, master theses and audiovisual materials.

STORI is committed to collecting, preserving, archiving and disseminating oral histories from the Samford comunity, the Birmingham area, and the state of Alabama. Online access thru STORI