SBDTL Newsletter: Home

Meet the Staff - Scott Tirrell

Working at the DTL

1. What is your role? I serve as the Chief (and only) Financial Officer of the DTL

2. When did you start at the DTL? I started working with the DTL August 21, 2021. I knew Tom when I served as controller and later CFO of the Claremont School of Theology.

3. What are your responsibilities at the DTL? I oversee the financial operations of the organization, which involves preparing financial reports, membership billings, payroll, etc.  

4. What is it like working for the DTL? I enjoy serving in a supportive role, and to work with the caliber of staff which we have is a joy. There is not only high integrity from the Executive Director on down, but there is a true servant attitude to serve the membership institutions around the globe with a high quality, dependable product that enhances one's academic pursuits and hopefully one's walk with the Lord.

Fun Questions

1. Do you have any pets? I do not have any pets, but if I had one, it would be a tarantula, but my wife would disown me. 

2. What is one of your hobbies? I enjoy growing things - fruit trees, raspberries, plants, etc. My first degree was in forestry, so I enjoy seeing things grow.

3. What is the last non-academic book you've read? "If There is a God, Wouldn't You Want to Know Him?" by Gus Bess. It is an autobiography. It's an easy, but thought-provoking read.

4. What is your favorite food to make and/or eat? Hubbard squash. I know, I'm weird, but ask any New England-er, if there isn't any better squash than that.

5. Who is your favorite artist? I know this dates me, but it is Steve Green. 

A New AI-Generated Book Series by DTL Press

Did you know that a scholar can now create a high quality introductory textbook in an afternoon by using AI? Skeptical? Read this book. The DTL is excited to announce that its new press is establishing a series of AI generated textbooks for introductory theological classes. DTL staff can train a scholar to generate a brief introductory textbook (15,000 to 25,000 words) in less than a day and see the work published in multiple languages within a few weeks.

This series, Theological Essentials, wants to create introductory textbooks which are credible (created by scholars), affordable (Open Access) and accessible (immediately translated into multiple languages) on as many topics as possible. The vision is to provide Open Access introductory textbooks in Biblical, theological and practical studies for a global audience via AI generation and AI translating and to distribute those books to eager readers everywhere. If you know of scholars who would be interested in helping us with project, please have them contact us.

DTL Staff Travel

The DTL staff work aggressively to promote the DTL and its libraries through presentations and exhibits at conferences around the country (and the globe).

In May and June, DTL staff will be present for 

- a (virtual) exhibit at the Catholic Library Association (April 24-25);

- an onsite exhibit at the Christian Leadership Alliance (April 29-May 1);

- an onsite exhibit at the Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association conference (May 1-2); and

- an onsite exhibit at the Association of Christian Librarians (June 2-4).

If you participate in any of these events, stop by and chat with us.

Meet the Staff: Fiona McMillan

1. What is your role? I am the Cataloging & Metadata Librarian.

2. When did you start at the DTL? As a student library worker and then a librarian at Claremont School of Theology, I was involved informally with the DTL in its early days, but I have formally worked for the DTL since 2020. When the DTL moved to San Diego, I remained in Claremont.

3. What are your responsibilities at the DTL? My work is now remote and digital. It involves keeping catalog records accurate and accessible and dealing with broken link reports. Finding and fixing errors is like being a detective. Sometimes open access links change URLs and links need updating, or new books need to be cataloged and added to the collection. Sometimes I scan some print materials that are to be added. I also help manage the materials in Dropbox and LibGuides.

4. What is it like working for the DTL? It is my dream job which combines librarianship with my academic background in comparative theology. The work is great fun and interesting and I find checking long Excel sheets to be relaxing and meditative. I have great colleagues, and it is a pleasure and privilege to work with them. It is also gratifying to help students and patrons access materials.

5. What is your favorite food to make and/or eat? I eat British, Levantine Arabic food and Indian curries. I prefer cooking from scratch with natural, fresh ingredients. Then I take long walks in the Botanical Gardens or Claremont Colleges grounds, or go to the gym.

Meet the Staff: Dee Kelle

1. What is your role? Digitization Specialist

2. When did you start at the DTL? Dee started working for the DTL “officially” at the end of May in 2022, but she actually started scanning books in June.

3. What are your responsibilities at the DTL? Dee digitizes priority titles, which are the titles requested by students and faculty members at institutions in the DTL1 and DTL2. In addition, she (in addition to the other to people on our Digitization team) also digitizes all of the content you can find in our Electronic Reserves. So, when you read a scanned title on your device, Dee may have made that possible for you to read!

4. What is it like working for the DTL? Dee says that she enjoys working for the DTL because it’s fun to be surrounded by her coworkers and it’s relaxing to digitize books. She describes working for the DTL as “a nice job to have.”

5. What's one fun fact about yourself? Dee was senior homecoming queen (see attached picture to a newspaper clipping of her handing the crown to the next year’s homecoming queen).

Internships at the DTL?

The DTL has a robust internship program (we have trained over 250 interns). We offer internships in digital resource management. Our internship program teaches students how to manage digital collections. Our internships are limited to people who are enrolled in a library program and who are doing the internships for academic credit. If you know someone in library school who is interested in an academic internship with the DTL, contact Ann Hidalgo (ahidalgo@thedtl.org).

Meet Lydia Putnam

What is your role?
My job title is "Digital Collection Management Librarian".

When did you start at the DTL?
There are actually sort of two answers to this question! My previous job was at Missio Seminary, where I served as the school's representative on the DTL board 2019-2023, and on the board's executive committee 2021-2023. I was delighted to join the DTL as a staff member in April 2024.

What are your responsibilities at the DTL?
As you might expect from my job title, I make sure that all new acquisitions are added to our WorldCat holdings, but I also update authentication codes for our member libraries and wrangle the DTL's monthly usage statistics.

What is it like working for the DTL?
Honestly? A dream come true. Some days I have to make myself stop working because it really doesn't feel like work.  

What is one of your hobbies?
Embroidery, which I really got into during this past Christmas season. I tried it when I was younger and thought it was tedious, but now I find myself drawn to the tactile nature of it, as well as how easily you can put it down to do something else and pick it up again later, unlike many other types of art or crafting where there's a large mess of supplies needed.

Answering the Question: "Is the DTL a Christian Organization?"

A note from Tom Phillips, Executive Director at the DTL

As the executive director of the DTL, people sometimes ask me if the DTL is “Christian.” It is not surprising that people would ask this question. After all, most of the DTL’s membership schools are Christian seminaries. However, the answer to this question is: “No, the DTL is not Christian.” In fact, the DTL was intentionally created as a non-confessional organization. The DTL is not “Christian,” or “Muslim,” or “Jewish,” or even “religious.”

When we founded the DTL, we chose to avoid tying it to any particular religious tradition for several reasons. On the one hand, as librarians, we did not want to create any possible conflict between some particular doctrinal or religious orientation and the DTL’s mission as a comprehensive research library in religious studies. On the other hand, as non-profit managers, we did not want to create any confessional barriers that would exclude any possible member on the basis of religious or theological orientation.

So, the DTL is non-confessional. Our members are various kinds of Christians (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant), Jews, and Muslims. Our staff also represents a wide variety of religious perspectives (Evangelical Christian, Mormon, Buddhist, Mainline Protestant, Catholic, Celtic, non-religious). We require no faith commitment from our employees, but we do seek out people who possess knowledge about diverse religious traditions. What all of the employees hold in common is a commitment to our core mission of helping all people engage in self-critical reflection upon their own faith and humble dialogue with those of other traditions.

Get to Know Ryan Schrauner

So, you are the chair of the DTL board, can you introduce yourself and what you do for a "day job?"

Ryan Shrauner is the Director of Library Services at Baptist Seminary of Kentucky (BSK) Theological Seminary. BSK is a small seminary in Lexington, Kentucky and Louisville, Kentucky. As per recent admissions, they have students in about 19 different states. Ryan is a remote worker and serves as a temporary pastor in Washington.

Where did you go to school and do you do any teaching or ministry activities besides your library work?

When asked about where he went to school, Ryan has a few different answers because, as we talked about during our interview, “the facts don’t always make sense, but the narrative does.” He earned his library degree from University of Kentucky in 2008 and worked in public libraries before transitioning into theological librarianship. Coincidentally, BSK started off his career in theological librarianship, where he has worked for the last ten years. 

Ryan earned his M. Div. from Princeton Seminary and his Master’s in Sacred Theology at General Theological Seminary in New York City. In addition to his library work, he teaches Spiritual Formation and Introduction at BSK and he does transitional pastoral work. Ryan likes to aid in the transition between pastors whenever he is needed and can be hopeful to a local congregation. He mentioned that he likes to take an active role in the content that he teaches because it adds a level of real-world experience and credibility to the courses he teaches and the work he does as Director of Library Services.

What role does the DTL play in your school's academic life?

The DTL plays an important role in BSK’s academic life since their student body spans 19 states. The DTL makes it as easy and cost-effective as possible to provide BSK’s student body with the digital library they need to fulfill their mission. Ryan mentioned that one of the most helpful parts about the DTL, especially as the Director of Library Services, is the support that he gets from DTL staff. For small seminaries that have a small library staff, the extra help that they get from the DTL, which is largely made up of librarians and theological scholars, is hugely beneficial and likely saves them from a few headaches throughout the year.

What made you want to get involved in the governance of the DTL?

Ryan wanted to get involved with the DTL ultimately because he saw how valuable it was to his seminary and he wanted to get involved in any way that would benefit the DTL in the long-term. He saw the way the DTL was rapidly out-growing the governance structure it had been founded with and thought he might be able to help answer some of the questions that the DTL was grappling with as it expanded based on his experience as a librarian and theologian. Since he understood that proper governance was one of the keys to the DTL staying strong, he wanted to do whatever would make it easier for the DTL to run as smoothly as possible. This is true of both Ryan and his seminary, which supports his participation on the board in helping the DTL to thrive. 

How do you understand your role as chair of the DTL board?

Ryan’s role is still emerging as the board grows. He notes that the Wise Stewards program offered by the In Trust Center was particularly helpful in helping him conceptualize his role as the DTL continues building it out in real-time. He has enjoyed watching the way his role changes based on how Executive Director, Tom Phillips, has actively made more and more space for the board to be involved in the vision, leadership, and long-range planning at the DTL the more that it grows and faces new questions. In any founder-led organization, Ryan noted, there is space for growth as the organization grows and requires more leadership and governance. Ryan has enjoyed being a part of that process and exploring his role as it changes and expands. 

Ryan views balance as one of the most important aspects of his role and the role of the board in general. He focuses on finding the right amount of governance that will help the DTL continue to thrive. Ryan wants to provide enough governance that the board can give the DTL healthy, forward-looking guidance without limiting the DTL by providing unneeded oversight. In other words, he sees part of his role as laying the foundation for what the DTL will be and what it will need in the future while also being responsive to current needs.

Is there anything that you would like the membership to know about the DTL?

Ryan appreciates all of the ways that members get involved with the DTL, whether you have a representative on the board or appreciate our updates through this newsletter. Keep in mind that there is no shortage of ways for you to get involved if you’d like to be and remember that the DTL is designed to benefit all members. Overall, the board is trying to be as helpful as possible while staying as flexible as possible and they appreciate you playing a role in that by being a member of the DTL.

Meet Drew Baker, PhD, MLIS

What is his role? Managing Director & COO

When did he start at the DTL? 2016.

What are his responsibilities at the DTL? Like everyone at the DTL, I wear a lot of hats. I manage a team of six dedicated to the technical side of the DTL, including collection management, systems, ILL, acquisitions, the website, and more. Sometimes my own work involves making long term plans for releasing new features for our users; other times, it means adding new collections to our library, or repairing a particularly stubborn resource access problem. My favorite part of the job, though, is leading a team of truly awesome people.=

I also collaborate with Tom on executive and business-related meetings, decisions, and support.

What is it like working for the DTL? I love my job. I work with absolutely amazing people. I serve a wonderful mission: serving students and scholars of religion around the world. I work for an organization that is able to adapt quickly to serve our communities better. I honestly wouldn't change a thing about my work for the DTL.

What is one of your hobbies? I got back into Legos a few years ago with my seven year old son. I had played with Legos as a kid, but my old collection was mostly gathering dust until my son expressed interest. Now we often spend weekends building new creations together. We also put together a Christmas Village around the holidays the past few years. I've even built some Lego sets on my own now again--there is something truly meditative about building something great one piece at a time.

Group Memberships with the Seminary Bookshelf

The Seminary Bookshelf offers discounted group memberships to organizations which want to offer library to entire membership.

So, if you want to help your colleagues (by getting access to the Seminary Bookshelf) and yourself (by lowering your membership even more), talk to your colleagues in your denomination, in your city or other affinity group about creating an organizational membership.

Contact us to discuss group discounts (director@thedtl.org).

Background on the DTL

The DTL is co-owned by the members of the Original DTL and the DTL2. Like all nonprofit corporations, the DTL is governed by a board of trustees who have responsibility to guide the organization to fulfill its mission. Our mission is to enable people in engage in self-critical reflection upon their own faith and humble dialogue with those of other traditions.

We facilitate this mission by providing legal access to curated library content in religious studies. As part of their responsibility to provide oversight for this mission, the DTL board has affirmed that core values listed below. These core values guide everything we do.

The DTL's Core Values:

- Consistent Truthfulness in all its interactions with its members and vendors

- Treatment of all people as we would wish to be treated

- Respect for each school’s individual and unique mission

- Regard for the stability and sustainability of the DTL

- Commitment to co-ownership of the DTL & partnership for mutual advantage

- Desire for service beyond the narrow confines of the DTL membership.