In a world where digital transformation is reshaping higher education, seminaries are increasingly...
Theological libraries play a vital role in shaping future ministry leaders, scholars, and educators. Yet today’s librarians face mounting pressures: limited staff capacity, shrinking budgets, rising textbook costs, and increasingly complex publisher models. Students expect seamless digital access, but libraries are often constrained by print availability, concurrent user limits, and the administrative burden of title-by-title purchasing.
In a recent webinar hosted by Perlego, Laura Ladwig, Director of Library Services at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (PRTS), shared how her team has navigated these pressures by adopting a digital-first curation strategy. Through a partnership with Perlego, PRTS has broadened access to academic resources, improved the student and faculty experience, and built a sustainable model for collection growth without the heavy administrative load of traditional procurement.
Below, we explore the key insights from the conversation and the practical strategies Laura has implemented to meet the evolving needs of 21st-century theological learners.
1. Curating a Digital Collection That Meets the Needs of Today’s Learners
The webinar began with a candid reflection on the realities facing theological schools: most operate with small library teams, limited shelf space, and tight budgets. Yet demand for accessible, high-quality academic materials continues to rise, especially among hybrid, online, and commuter students.
Laura explained that Perlego’s scalable digital library has been instrumental in expanding access without expanding staff workload or physical collections.
Rather than individually purchasing expensive print or ebook titles, PRTS now offers students and faculty unlimited access to over a million books, enabling them to explore beyond course reading lists:
“Our goal was to give students breadth without creating more bottlenecks for the library. With Perlego, they can find what they need instantly, whether it’s core theology texts, research monographs, or supplementary reading.”
This shift has allowed PRTS to right-size its print spending, focusing physical purchases on titles that truly require long-term archival presence while directing more of its budget toward flexible, digital-first access.
2. Using Perlego to Build a More Sustainable, Scalable Library Model
One of the biggest challenges Laura highlighted is the difficulty of sustaining a growing theological collection under traditional licensing models. High ebook costs, single or multi-user limits, and restrictive DRM often limit how widely a resource can be used.
Perlego’s model, offering unlimited access for all users, removed those constraints:
“When we discovered Perlego, it was like a goldmine. We no longer have to worry about whether five students will need the same book at once. There are no waitlists, no lockouts, no complex licenses to manage.”
This has major implications for collection sustainability, including:
- No more duplicate purchasing of high-demand titles
- No more unpredictable ebook pricing
- No more juggling hundreds of publisher agreements
- No more time spent troubleshooting access barriers
With a small library staff, removing these administrative layers has been transformative. “It allows us to spend more time supporting students and faculty,” Laura noted, rather than tracking ISBNs and monitoring usage restrictions.
3. Engaging Faculty and Driving Student Adoption
Introducing new technology at a theological institution requires trust, collaboration, and clear communication.
Laura shared several effective strategies for faculty and learner engagement, each aimed at helping instructors feel confident recommending Perlego as part of their courses.
What worked at PRTS:
- Early conversations with faculty champions, especially those interested in digital resources
- Demonstrations embedded in faculty meetings, showing how Perlego supports course design
- Highlighting unlimited access, with no more worries about students being blocked from essential texts
- Providing examples of high-quality theological publishers already on the platform.
Many faculty members responded positively once they realized Perlego could reduce the financial burden on students while still maintaining academic rigor.
Students, meanwhile, quickly embraced the platform’s convenience:
“They love that they can search, annotate, and read on any device. For busy students, especially those balancing ministry, work, and family, having all their materials in one place is a game-changer.”
The introduction of audiobook functionality with the Read Aloud feature proved particularly valuable for commuter students and those who prefer to listen while travelling.
4. Supporting Scaling with Analytics and Customer Care
As PRTS continues to grow, Perlego has become a cornerstone of its digital strategy. Laura underscored how essential scalable access has been during periods of enrollment expansion, curriculum updates, and increased demand for online programs.
Perlego’s analytics have also provided new insights into student reading patterns, helping the library understand which disciplines and programs are most engaged, and where additional support or resources may be needed.
Customer care was also highlighted by Laura as key to the successful roll-out and scaling:
“Perlgo is to be commended for their customer support. They are truly awesome people to work with. We come up with a win-win situation for both of us after talking something through. I've worked with a lot of vendors, and they are not all like this. So that's another selling point for us.”
Conclusion: A Future-Ready Approach to Theological Library Services
This webinar highlighted how theological libraries can meet rising expectations for accessibility, affordability, and digital convenience. Perlego’s partnership with Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary illustrates what is possible when libraries adopt a digital-first curation model:
- Broader access to high-quality theological and academic resources
- Reduced administrative burden for library teams
- Improved student experience through seamless, flexible reading tools
- Stronger faculty engagement with course-aligned digital materials
- A sustainable, scalable foundation for institutional growth
Discover how Perlego can broaden your access to learning resources. Book a demo to see the platform in action:
