The library collection was split this year as we chose to begin using the Library of Congress classification
scheme to organize all future acquisitions. The Union classification scheme which was used in the
past is maintained by less than 5% of the libraries in the American Theological Library Association,
and that number is dwindling for several reasons. The primary reasons are the infrequent updates
of the classification scheme to keep pace with new developments in different fields of study and the
development of new library automation. As libraries are increasingly linked by computers through
such national networks as the OCLC system, two classification schemes are becoming dominant. One
of these is the Dewey Decimal system; the other is the Library of Congress classification. The staff, in
consultation with the administration, decided that a shift to the Library of Congress system would take
full advantage of potential time and cost savings in classifying future acquisitions.