Trinity Lutheran Seminary: Hamma Library

Many of the hymnals were acquired to support the divinity degree, but the majority were given to the library by pastors, scholars, and friends of the seminary. Since the historical background of the seminary is German Lutheran, hymnals used in the German-speaking countries during this same era were added intentionally by the then-current librarians and professors or in later archival endeavors. The collection fills five to six sections of shelving, approximately thirty-five shelves. The American Lutheran strains are particularly well represented, especially those hymnals published in the German and English languages. The collection is comprehensive relating to titles published by or used in Lutheran churches in Ohio and adjacent states. Since many of the hymnals belong to liturgical church traditions, Hamma Library has attempted to collect the liturgical service or altar books which complement the specific hymnals but which were separately published. The cataloged records, one-fourth to one-third of the collection, can be accessed through the Internet by searching the Innovative online public access catalog OhioLINK (www.ohiolink.edu). There are no finding aids for the uncataloged titles. Date range: 18th c.-present.