Same collection, new location

By Hailey Pruitt

On Feb. 6, 2025, faculty, staff, students, alumni, administrators and friends of Harding School of Theology gathered in the parking lot behind Brackett Library to commemorate the beginning of construction for the new HST library addition. Following several gray January days, the Thursday morning sunshine reflected the bright hope for the future and all the kingdom servants who will teach and study within this facility.

Following opening comments from Dr. Peter Rice, dean of HST, professor emeritus and longtime library director Don Meredith introduced himself, saying, “This is my library they’re moving.” Meredith dedicated 35 years to expanding and curating the library’s collection while supporting students in their research and spiritual formation. Even after retirement, he continued to volunteer in the library, and legend has it that he can not only name that little blue book with the gold script you’re looking for but also knows the call number by heart. 

Meredith followed in the footsteps of Annie Mae Alston Lewis, who directed Beaumont Library on the Searcy campus and began the work in Memphis in 1962 with only 7,000 volumes. Today, the collection exceeds 170,000 — a testament to the dedication of many librarians, administrators and generous investors in HST. 

Library director Jean Waldrop and theological librarian Whitney Hammes will be carrying on that tradition in Searcy. Hammes’ role allows her to focus primarily on teaching HST classes and supporting students. She’s excited about the opportunity to provide a variety of resources for students, alumni, faculty and guests. 

“Whether it's a Bible study for church or for graduate students, they’ll have a laptop for language software, a lexicon, three commentaries, and several tabs open with online commentaries and other texts,” Hammes said. “Some resources are still more convenient — or only available — in print, so this hybrid model is the norm.”

Hammes and the staff work to provide digital scans of print materials and extensive digital resources for both on-campus and distance students. With an increasingly global student body, most students attend classes online. However, all students are required to come to campus for the Advanced Theological Research course — which Hammes teaches — so they are introduced to the collection and its variety of resources. The personal connection carries on the shared experience students have had with HST’s librarians for more than 60 years. 

The Brackett Library staff is committed to providing that same small community feel while offering enhanced resources provided by a larger campus. The library stays open late during the week, and plans for the new addition provide a space for HST students to personalize their own study carrels in a space with keycard access.

Another important part of the legendary HST library collection is the Restoration History Archive, which will be preserved in a climate-controlled space. These important artifacts are an enduring testament to the history of the Restoration Movement, and the Brackett Library staff includes a full-time archivist to continue the curation and exhibition of the collection.  

Known around the country as a premiere theological library, the HST collection is a beacon for church leaders and theology scholars alike. Open to the public, library materials will be available to our neighbors preparing to teach Bible classes at local churches as well as those seeking rare books to use in scholarship and study at other theological institutions across the nation. The collection is not only a crucial asset to theological education at Harding but serves our neighbors in their efforts toward higher standards of ministry, scholarship and service to the kingdom.

On Giving Day — Feb. 20, 2025 — we hope you’ll join the Harding nation in continuing the University’s 100-year legacy of excellence. Your contributions help provide scholarships, academic resources and recruitment funds that make a high-quality Christian education possible for current and future Bisons.

Learn more about our highlighted projects — including the new Harding School of Theology library addition — at harding.edu/givingday and choose to invest in the area that means most to you.