Kesler membership is open to any person engaged in or retired from ministry and living outside Davidson County, TN, in the continental United States or Canada.
The KCL was originally intended to serve ordained ministers and rabbis, but we now also serve those who are not ordained but are clearly doing ministry work. For example, chaplains, ordained or not, qualify for membership, as do non-ordained members of parish ministry teams. Throughout this manual "minister" will be used for any person who qualifies for KCL membership, ordained or not.
Some fuzzy areas:
1) Ministers living near, but not quite in, Nashville. If someone has a Nashville mailing address, they may not be a Kesler patron, but must get a local clergy card to use the Divinity Library. (As a courtesy, we occasionally keep an old Kesler member on the mailing list after they move into Nashville, but they may not borrow through the mail.) Folks living in Antioch, Brentwood, Madison, etc., should be discouraged from applying for Kesler privileges and steered toward a clergy Library Use Card, but may, if they feel it better meets their needs, be allowed to enroll in Kesler if they do not want an LUC. Ministers living in nearby counties may use either Kesler or an LUC, but not both. Folks on our geographical boundaries should understand that the KCL operates strictly by mail, that they will be limited to two items at a time, and that they may not charge out items in person at the library. They may prefer to obtain a Library Use Card which will allow them to charge out almost unlimited numbers of items in person. (Many clergy in surrounding counties come into Nashville frequently for hospital visits and meetings.)
2) Ministers who are also students. The basic Vanderbilt policy is that Vanderbilt library resources are not intended to support the study of students enrolled in degree programs at other institutions. The Kesler Office receives many requests for materials needed by students, but usually the limits of two items for five weeks are not sufficient for their needs, and they look elsewhere. These cases must often be decided on a case-by-case basis. Generally, if a person is a long-time minister, we will grant membership. However, if they are engaged in ministry while studying in an M.Div. program and pursuing ordination, we will encourage them to apply for Kesler membership after they have been ordained.
3) Clergy spouses, especially in denominations that do not ordain women. In recognition that wife and husband often function as a team in these situations, we will allow the spouse to become a Kesler member if s/he claims to be "engaged in ministry" and properly completes an application. We do, in these cases send only one copy of the Recent Acquisitions List to the couple.
The differences between Kesler members and ministers holding Library Use Cards may be summarized as followed:
Kesler: borrows books only through the mail
does not have a library card.
may enter the Divinity Library as a guest, but may not charge items in person
may borrow 2 items at a time.
has a 40 day loan period.
applies for membership from and generally communicates through the Kesler Assistant.
LUC: has a library card and follows normal circulation procedures
may charge almost unlimited number of item
has a one month loan period.
applies for library card at Circulation Desk; card is processed by Divinity Library Public Services Team member.
N.B.: In the past, Kesler included all services provided to ministers who were not Vanderbilt students. Thus, occasionally, someone will ask about Kesler membership, or will claim to be a Kesler member, who is really asking about what now falls under local clergy privileges and the LUC.
Return to KCL INDEX
Documentation by Julie Owen
Last Updated: March 29, 2002