For questions about the SUM Library, contact our Librarian at library@sum.edu.
Online Library Resources
Click on titles to link directly to these resource pages.
EBSCO/ATLA Online Library
SUM provides students and faculty with an online ebook library provided by EBSCO and ATLA. This collection includes EBSCO’s North American eBook Collection and EBSCO’s eBook Religion Collection, together around 180,000 volumes.
SUM also provides students and faculty with online journal holdings provided by EBSCO and ATLA. This collection includes ATLA’s Religion Database with Serials, which includes full text articles from over 300 journals in religion, theology, biblical studies and other related fields; the OMNIFile Full Text Mega database, which includes full text articles in general studies from over 2,500 publications across the disciplines; and EBSCO’s Religion and Philosophy collection, which provides another 300-plus journals across religion, philosophy and related fields.
Students are provided with a login to access these materials. This login provides access to both the ebook and journal collections together. Search queries can occur across some or all databases together through the EBSCO/ATLA online library holdings.
Oxford Biblical Studies Online
Oxford Biblical Studies Online provides a comprehensive resource for the study of the Bible and biblical history. The integration of authoritative scholarly texts and reference works with tools that provide ease of research into the background, context, and issues related to the Bible make Oxford Biblical Studies Online a valuable resource not only for college students, scholars, and clergy, but also anyone in need of an authoritative, ecumenical, and up-to-date resource.
Students are provided with a login to access these materials.
The IVP Bible Dictionary Series
The IVP Bible Dictionaries are an excellent Bible dictionary series. It allows the students to explore all aspects of the Bible including culture, history, and theology. This is a fully searchable dictionary series with over1,000 articles. This uses the same password and username as the other databases.
SUM Library OPAC Search
SUM’s Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) provides access to the SUM home campus library in El Dorado Hills, California. Students and faculty in the US Cohort system can request books by contacting library@sum.edu.
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Online Open Access Scholarly Libraries and Databases
Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides free online scholarly resources. SUM’s EBSCO databases are connected to Google Scholar, which provides additional access to articles across academic disciplines.
Open Access Digital Theological Library
The Open Access Digital Theological Library is a database that consists in open source materials in religious studies and theology. It is connected to the OCLC World Catalogue system.
Open Access Directory of Journals
The Open Access Directory of Journals is an index of peer reviewed scholarly open access articles. Some of these journals include those already available in EBSCO and Google Scholar; however, this directory may provide additional journal articles. This database covers all fields of study.
Open Access Directory of Books
The Open Access Directory of Books provides free access to books which publishers participating in this program have deemed open access. Open access books in this directory are symbolized by an open lock. This covers all fields of study.
Google Books
Google Books provides free access to some books in their entirety (generally for older books) or parts of books (if a newer book) online in a searchable system.
BASE
BASE is an open access database which provides articles in multiple languages.
CiteSeerX
Primarily for those working at the graduate level, CiteSeerX is an open access database which is good in the social sciences.
Microsoft Academic
Similar to Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic is an open access database, but is not connected to EBSCO covering all fields of study.
Other websites (in order of usefulness) –Please check with your instructor to see if they will allow you to use these sites:
CIA Fact Book
The CIA Fact Book is a top resource for basic information about the world. The site provides a massive central data source, and a handy way to graphically compare nations.
Theology on the Web
Theology on the Web is a free, high quality theological resource out of the United Kingdom for Bible teachers, scholars, and pastors to spread the Gospel in their countries. There are over 20,000 rare and out-of-print articles available for free download, detailed bibliographies for Seminary level students and ministers, and a single cross-linked resource made up of seven websites.
ARDA (Association of Religion Data Archives)
ARDA is a scholarly archive for theological and religious research.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Christian Classics Ethereal Library provides a free online library of classic Christian texts.
Perseus Digital Library
Perseus Digital Library provides free online classics in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, with some English translations, and an interactive lexicon/parsing tool.
The Post-Reformation Digital Library
The Post-Reformation Digital Library is a select database of digital books related to the development of theology and philosophy during the Reformation and Post-Reformation/Early Modern Era (late-15th-18th c.).
Bible Geo Coding (https://www.openbible.info/geo/)
Bible Geo Coding superimposes maps of biblical geography upon Google Maps and provides for an incredible site to help students see and understand the geography of the Bible.
Hartford Institute for Religion Research
The Hartford Institute for Religion provides research especially in the area of religion and culture, and is more for those working in graduate programs
Chabad.org
Chabad.org is run by a Jewish organization which provides information about Jewish history and culture.
Internet History Sourcebooks (Fordham University)
Provided by Fordham University, Internet History Sourcebooks provides access to historical documents useful for studies in World Religions, Biblical Studies, and Apologetics.
Early English Books Free Online Library (hosted by the University of Michigan)
The University of Michigan provides texts in early English in the Early English Books Free Online Library. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebogroup/
Bible.org
Bible.org provides articles on various Christian topics, primarily written by evangelical Christians. Articles vary in terms of scholarly or popular audiences.
Lumina.bible.org
Lumina.bible.org is Bible.org’s Bible with the original texts and notes.
BibleGateway.com
This is not considered a scholarly site nor are the other sites mentioned. Most of these site’s reference materials are non-scholarly or out of date. Bible Gateway is usually the first site that will come up when Googling a verse. As with anything on Google that comes up first, it does not mean it is the best website it means it came up first (also check out Blue Letter, BibleStudyTools and Bible Hub interlinear). Bible Gateway has not just the English version Bibles but other languages such as Icelandic. It does not have all the tools such as a Lexicon as does other sites have. It also has a paid level as well.
BibleResources.org
This site, owned by an evangelical church. A feature that can be useful but all the articles are opinion is “What the Bible Says” section. These are answers to modern issues from a Biblical evangelical point of view such as vegetarianism and tattoos. Do not use this in papers.
E-SWORD BIBLE TOOL
The E-Sword Bible Tool provides free downloads of many different translations of the bible, including Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, along with maps and charts, free commentaries and books, devotionals, and other material.
Faith and Philosophy Journal
https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy/
This is a scholarly philosophy journal published by the Society of Christian Philosophers. It’s purpose is to articulate its Christian faith that will withstand critical examination, as well as explore the implications of the Christian faith for all aspects of human life.
