Library User Guide 2025
- Thomas Guthrie
About the Library
Welcome to the Library! The Donald Robinson Library is an integral part of Moore Theological College. Its story began with the opening of the College in Sydney in 1856.
Today the library is one of the largest and most comprehensive theological libraries in the Southern Hemisphere. Its growing collections and services support the work of our theological students and teaching faculty, as well as visiting scholars, researchers and other students throughout Australia and around the world.
The Library is named in honour of Donald William Bradley Robinson (1922–2018), former Vice Principal of the College (1959–1972), Bishop of Parramatta (1973–1982), and Archbishop of Sydney (1982–1993).
Some 100,000 print volumes are located on open access in the Library at Newtown while the remaining volumes are stored at an offsite location. The Samuel Marsden Archives forms part of the Library and collects material relating to Anglicanism and evangelicalism in Australia.
Opening Hours
The Library is open to everyone 8.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday subject to our conditions of entry. Currently enrolled Moore College students may register for out-of-hours access to the Library via swipe card from 6am-11pm weekdays, 9am-11pm Saturdays, and 1-11pm Sundays. Contact details for the Library are as follows:
Address: 1 King St Newtown NSW 2042
Telephone: (02) 9577 9895
Email: servicedesk@moore.edu.au
Website: https://www.library.moore.edu.au
User Guide: https://www.library.moore.edu.au/client/en_GB/default/?rm=LIBRARY+USER+G0%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7Ctrue
Service Desk
Contact the Library Service Desk near the main entrance if you have trouble finding or using items or encounter other problems. Speak to the staff member on duty, or contact the Library by email servicedesk@moore.edu.au, or phone (02) 9577 9895. If the Service Desk is unattended during opening hours, please ring the bell located on the desk, and a staff member will attend to your enquiries. The Service Desk closes 15 minutes before closing time each day.
Library Facilities
The Library building at 1 King St opened in 2017 on the site of the previous Library. The Collection is housed on the Ground Floor and Lower Ground Floor with internal stair access. An elevator is available for use on request.
Study spaces are available including carrels, standing desks, shared desks and reading chairs. The Amphitheatre (Lower Ground Floor) may be booked for use at the Concierge Desk, and the Library Meeting Room (Ground Floor) may be booked for use at the Service Desk.
Please minimise noise in the Library by avoiding loud conversation, talking on mobile phones, and other distracting noise. Except for the Amphitheatre, the entire Lower Ground Floor is reserved for quiet study.
Cold food and beverages in sealable containers may be consumed throughout the Library. A water fountain is located on the Lower Ground Floor near the small compactus. Please show consideration to other Library users while eating or drinking. If a spill occurs, please contact Library staff immediately for assistance. They will be happy to help you.
Toilets are located on the Lower Ground Floor near the Amphitheatre, and off the main College foyer.
Emergency Procedures
In case of emergency, alarms will sound and all patrons must evacuate the building. Follow Fire Wardens’ directions and proceed immediately to the staff car park via Carillon Ave. Do not remain in the foyer or directly outside the building. In addition to the main access doors to the Library, there are three emergency exits: near the copiers on the Ground Floor, to the left of the elevators on the Lower Ground Floor, and near the water fountain on the Lower Ground Floor.
Moore College Students
Use your student card to borrow items, request items from Offsite, and access print/copy/scan services. Your login and password remain valid throughout your time as a student. You do not need your card to return items.
Moore College Alumni
All students who have been granted a Moore Theological College award are eligible for a free five-year Alumni Membership, providing generous access to Library services. To apply, please register online.
Library Visitors
Register online as a Visitor to receive an email confirming your Moore College universal login and password, which you may use to request items from Offsite and gain access to the Library’s print/copy/scan services.
Library Members
For those who are not directly associated with Moore Theological College, Library Membership provides access to borrowing privileges ($100 for 12 months or $50 for six months). To apply, please register online.
Forgot your password?
To reset your Library login and/or password, go to http://forgot.moore.edu.au , enter your username or recovery email, click “Continue” and follow the instructions.
Library Services
For general information about Library services, see our Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ .
Library orientation sessions are available for new and continuing students. Library staff will guide you through the various areas of the library, explaining how services operate, and respond to questions. Each session takes 20-30 minutes. Sessions are advertised in student emails, at lunch times, and on the Library website and wall screens.
For personalised skills training on topics such as how to find resources for study and research, referencing, time management, academic writing, and good study habits, Book a Librarian by emailing servicedesk@moore.edu.au
Secure free wi-fi is available for Moore College students, Alumni Members, and Library Members. To connect, select “Moore” and enter your universal login and password. Moore Guests may access unsecured free wifi.
Print, copy and scan facilities are available on the Ground Floor past the New Titles display, and on the Lower Ground Floor near the Self-Check. Scanning to an email address or USB device is free. Printing/copying costs 10c per black-and-white A4 page, less 20 per cent student discount. To print or copy, sign up at https://papercut.moore.edu.au To add credit to your account, login to PaperCut with your single sign-on and click the Add Credit (PayPal) link. The minimum top-up amount is $5.00. Current Moore College students receive an annual $10 credit per semester.
To print using the Library devices, select Moore, go to https://print.moore.edu.au:9164/setup and follow the prompts and connect to the Library printer queue. The setup detects the client (Windows, Macs, iPhones and iPads or Android phones) and gives appropriate instructions. You may release your job from any copier. Scan your card at the front of each machine.
To copy a document, press Access Device on the printer/ scanner/copier and follow the prompts.
To scan, either scan to an image to PDF, (or select JPEG or TIFF format), or OCR to somewhere performs Optical Character Recognition on the image before delivery (defaults to PDF but may be changed to MS Word). Students may scan or OCR to their Moore College OneDrive account.
For information technology enquiries, please contact a Library staff member, email helpdesk@moore.edu.au, or browse https://it.moore.edu.au.
Charging cables and portable batteries are available for borrowing. Please ask Library staff for assistance.
Computer workstations (PC & Mac) are available for catalogue and Internet searches. No password is required. Please do not change the User ID.
Library Collections
The Open Collection of books and booklets contains approximately 100,000 titles on shelves on the Ground Floor and Lower Ground Floor. All items are available for loan except for Reference, Serials and Microform.
The Offsite Collection comprises approximately 235,000 items. To access offsite materials, click Request Item. Your request should be available the following weekday if requested by 2pm, otherwise allow two working days. You will be advised by email when items are available for borrowing/perusal. Some offsite items are not for loan.
The Bibles Collection includes a wide range of English-language Bible versions and study Bibles, and a few non-English translations. It is located on the Ground Floor adjacent to the New Books Display.
The Reference Collection of dictionaries, encyclopaedias and other works for in-Library use is located on the Ground Floor near the New Books Display.
The High Demand Collection is located on the Ground Floor near the Service Desk. “Set” and “Recommended Readings” in Moore College course outlines are placed here where copyright law prevents the Library from scanning entire readings. Other titles may also be placed in High Demand. Items may be borrowed for two hours, or overnight if borrowed within three hours of closing.
To borrow, select the book from the High Demand Collection and borrow using Self-Check. Return through the Self-Check and return the book to its place on the High Demand shelves. Overnight loans are due back by 9.30am. When the Library is closed, Moore College students may return items via the After-Hours Returns Box located in the Student Mail Room.
eResources include ebooks, ejournals, databases and digital libraries. A Database Search includes links to content in all relevant formats. Explore the Databases and Online Collections menus access digital libraries, databases, ebook collections and eReference resources. To access ebooks, click on the title and then click the “View EBSCO Details” button (there is no “View Content” button for ebooks). Click here for the eResources Guide.
Serials (Journals) are available in print, online and/or microform formats. For print items (Serial/Journal), click the title to see Holdings (print issues located onsite) and click Available to see volumes held offsite. Click Request Item to order a volume from offsite. Recent issues of print serials are located near the Reference Collection and are available for in-Library use only. The catalogue record may include a link to the ejournal. For online items, click the link to access the ejournal. Microform items are read using a microform reader on the Lower Ground Floor.
Pamphlets stored offsite may be recalled for in-library use, but are not available for loan.
The Folio Collection of over-size items is located past the large compactus on the rear wall of the Lower Ground Floor. Some folio items are not available for loan.
The Loane Collection comprises titles donated from the personal library of Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane. These items are located on the Ground Floor near the Reference Collection and are available for loan.
The Freedom for Faith Public Library comprises print resources on religious freedom and church-state relations held on behalf of the Freedom for Faith organisation. Items are located on the Ground Floor near the Reference Collection and are available for loan.
The Asian Collection, located on the Ground Floor near the Reference Collection, contains works principally in Mandarin. Most items are available for loan.
The Huguenot Collection comprises books, papers and other resources held on behalf of the Huguenot Society of Australia Inc. Many of these are available for loan.
The Youthworks Collection of youth and children’s ministry resources is located in Lecture Room C (enter off Carillon Ave) and is available to Youthworks and Moore College students by swipe card on Mon-Wed before 9:00am and after 3:30pm, and Thu/Fri any time. Items may be borrowed and returned at the kiosk using the barcode scanner.
The Children’s Collection comprises items suitable for teaching children about biblical and theological topics. It is located near the Service Desk on the Ground Floor, adjacent to the “Reserved Items” shelves.
The Archives catalogue holds over 43,000 items including audio recordings, pamphlets, and other physical and digital resources.
Audiobooks may be selected from the catalogue or on the Libby app (available from iTunes or Google Play). These are available to Moore College students, faculty and staff only. For more information, see Skills Guide 3.
The CD/DVD Collection is located on the Lower Ground Floor in the last two units of the large compactus.
Search Tips
You may access the Library Catalogue on any device that provides access to the internet. Search via the homepage which operates best on the latest version of Chrome or Microsoft Edge. To locate items, type search terms into the search box and click Search:
The drop-down menu on the left with the default “Everything” gives Search Limit options. The drop-down box with the default “All Fields” gives Search Field options. To search for items across all categories, retain default settings.
Limit search results in Library Search by selecting author, format, language, publication date, subject, collection, location, serial, or a combination of these. Select options by clicking the small grey boxes on the left.
In each category, click the “include” or “exclude” button to include or exclude preferred options. Click Search to refresh search results. Hover the cursor over the graph bars in Publication Date category to reveal the year ranges of items in search results.
Limit or expand search results in Database Search by applying various limiters and/or expanders, and by selecting publication date range, source type, subject, publisher, publication, language, geography, category, collection, publication year, and/or content provider. Click Search to refresh search results.
To exclude searching the full text of articles, click on the small blue circle near the top of the right-hand column.
To search for the title or author of a print book, ebook or journal, change the Everything box to Library Search, and the All Fields box to Title or Author. In the blank field in the search box, enter the words of your title or author and click Search. Check that the citation is for the format you require.
To find the shelf location of an item, click on the blue title. This displays the Dewey Decimal Number and other information – you may need to scroll down to view it. For Open Collection items, click the Locate It tab in the catalogue record to see a Library floor plan indicating shelf location.
For citation details when you click on a title in the catalogue, click the Cite this title button (not SBL specific).
Search results with a blue background indicate that the item is listed in a database. Search results for titles in Database Search often include citations as well as links to full text documents. Search results with a white background indicate that the item is held in the library collection. This includes all print books and ebooks.
Borrowing books & other items
Search for books, articles and other resources using the online catalogue at www.library.moore.edu.au Most items in the Open Collection are available for loan to currently enrolled students, faculty, staff, registered College Alumni, and registered Library Members.
Log in via the website to view the current status of your loans and other information, and to access some online items. The catalogue is available on multiple devices wherever there is an internet connection.
The various on-site collections begin on the Ground Floor with the Bibles, Reference, Loane, Asian, Freedom for Faith Collections, then Serials, and general monographs with call numbers DDC (Dewey Decimal Catalogue) 001–219. The range continues on the Lower Ground Floor in freestanding shelves, wall shelves, and the main compactus units (DDC 220–999). The Folio collection is located on shelves on the rear wall at the far end of the Lower Ground Floor.
Signs and shelf labels identify call number locations throughout the Library, and floor plan maps are displayed at the top and bottom of the Library stairs with colour-coded subject areas.
When using the compactus, check that the open aisle is empty and move each carriage individually. Take care as carriages may shift and aisles may narrow during use.
To borrow items, use one of the Self-Check machines located near the Sorting Shelves on the Ground Floor or Lower Ground Floor. Follow the screen instructions. The Library sends a courtesy email to your nominated email address two days before an item is due, reminding you to return the item or renew the loan. It is the borrower’s responsibility to return items on time or renew the loan. Overdue items are not renewable online – please call the Service Desk (9577 9895) for assistance.
To request an item currently on loan to another user, click Request Item in the catalogue and enter your universal login and password. The Library sends an advisory email to your nominated email address once the item becomes available.
To request an Offsite item, click Request Item in the Library catalogue and enter your universal login and password. Requests received by 2pm on weekdays are available by 12pm the next weekday. The Library sends an email to your Moore College email address advising when the item is available to pick up. Not all requested items are available for loan; some are for in-Library use only. You cannot request or reserve an item currently on shelves at 1 King St.
Pick up holds and requested items from the “Requested Items” shelf near the top of the stairs on the Ground Floor. Items requested by students or visitors that remain uncollected after three days are returned to their usual location unless Library staff are advised. All other categories of membership have ten working days in which to access offsite requests.
If another user requests an item on loan to you, and you have had the item for more than one week, you will be asked to return the item. Items with two or more requests become available for loan for two days only. Check your borrowing receipt or log in to My Account to review your loan period.
Returning borrowed items
To return borrowed items, follow screen instructions and place items on the black pad beneath the screen. Place items for general reshelving on the Sorting Shelves, and place High Demand items in the High Demand Collection.
An After-Hours Returns Box, securely located in the Student Mail Room, is cleared by Library staff by 9.00am on weekdays.
The Library does not impose fines for overdue items. Please return items by their due.
Lost, damaged and defaced items
Missing or lost items and soiled or damaged items are replaced at the borrower’s expense plus a $40 administration fee charged to their Library account. Loose pages and loose book covers should be reported to Library staff for repair and no charges will apply. Please advise Library staff as soon as possible if an item on loan to you has been lost or damaged to assist other borrowers.
Please do not mark or otherwise deface library property. This includes folding page corners, tearing pages, underlining in pen or pencil, making marginal notes, highlighting text with coloured pens, and applying sticky notes. If you notice that a book has been defaced in any way, report this to Library staff before you borrow it to avoid being charged for cleaning or replacement of the item.
BRB Cards
When using books in the Library, please ensure that you borrow them. If you need to leave for a study break, fill out a BRB card and leave it on your table. Remember to return within 2 hours. Books without valid BRB cards, and books left unattended on tables, will be returned to shelves.
New Titles Display
A selection of new books and serials is displayed in the Library each week. New book title covers also appear on the Library home page. You may reserve new books for borrowing the following week.
Inter-library loans
Moore College students, faculty and staff may request free Inter-Library loans from other participating libraries. Requests are filled at the discretion of the Research Support Officer. To make a request, email docdel@moore.edu.au providing as many details as possible. Requests may take up to four weeks to arrive.
Requesting new items
We want to build the most comprehensive and relevant theological library for current and future generations. Feel free to recommend items for possible purchase via the “Request New Resources” form on the menu on the left-hand side of the home page of the Library website.
Book Donations
The Library receives donations of second-hand books. Surplus items are offered free to Moore College students in the Student Mail Room. Guidelines for making donations are available via the Library home page.
Library Guides
The Library provides a wide range of Skills Guides, Writing Guides, Research Guides and Academic Resources for use by undergraduate and postgraduate students and all Library users. Links to all these guides are included in the menu on the left-hand side of the home page of the Library website.
Can’t find an item?
Occasionally, an item will appear as available in the catalogue but is not in its place on the shelf. This may be because someone else is using it in the Library, it is currently on sorting shelves awaiting return to its place, or it is missing. Check the sorting shelves, and if the item is not there please ask Library staff for assistance.
If the Library does not appear to hold an item, please ask Library staff for assistance. Where the request complies with the Library’s Collection Development Policy, staff may be able to purchase the item and make it available for loan, or source an Inter-Library loan.
Library Staff
Gabrielle Fury
Library Manager – on leave for 2025
LLB (Bond), MInfoStud(Lib) (UCanberra)
Leads, manages and works with the library team to develop library services to support the Moore College community. Gabrielle enjoys good tea, good chocolate, and spending time at the beach with her family.
Erin Mollenhauer
Acting Library Manager
Senior Archivist and Special Collections Librarian
BA (Macq) MInfoStud(Lib) (CSU) GradDip RecMgntArchiv (Curtin) AALIA (DCP) ASAAM
Looks after the Rare Book Collection and the Samuel Marsden Archives. Erin enjoys needlework and reading history and biographies.
Elise Watts
Systems & Metadata Librarian
BA (WSU), GradDipInfoManagement (UTS)
Manages Library systems, ebooks, databases, and the preservation and maintenance of digital material and archives. Hot chocolate and Jane Austen are the best! Passionate about Subby Ministry and ministry in the western suburbs.
Tom Guthrie
Academic Liaison Librarian
BTh (SMBC), MTS (SMBC)
Provides research support for faculty and students, and manages the Library’s collection development. Tom enjoys country music, drinking copious amounts of filter coffee, and adventures with his wife and two dogs
Jonathan Wensor
Library Assistant
DipChristianStud (Youthworks), BA (Macq), DipLibInfo (Newcastle TAFE)
Assists the Acting Library Manager with Special Collections tasks. Jonathan enjoys building LEGO, reading about ancient history, and collecting Hawaiian shirts.
Jacqui Wiya
Library Technician
BBus (FU), Dip LIS (Ultimo TAFE)
Manages the Library’s print journal collection, monograph standing orders, and inter-library loans. Jacqui enjoys growing an edible garden, home improvements on a budget, and reading.
Caitlin Nash
Library Technician
Dip LIS & Cert 4 (Ultimo TAFE)
Provides support with cataloguing and set readings. Caitlin loves to play trombone and collects fun pins for her bag.
Alex Livingston
Library Assistant (Shelving)
BSc (Ma) (Adel.), GradCert (Language Ed) (Adel.), GradDipArts (Coursework) Philosophy (UNSW)
Manages shelving and reshelving, shuffling books to prevent overflow, resource location signs, and the digital shelf map. Alex tries to keep up to date on world affairs and likes photography, geography, technology, and cool cafés.