Clergy Support Trust Library

Thank you for your interest in the Clergy Support Trust Library, a partnership with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Inter-Varsity Press in the UK.

The Library is now closed to new registrations and will close fully on the 31st of August 2024.

Due to the national Churches and other organisations investing in online learning, the Clergy Support Trust Library has been superseded by more course-specific e-book libraries.

As a charity serving clergy in times of need, it would not be the best use of our charitable funds to duplicate and offer a less tailored online library than some of the national Churches now offer.

It was a tough decision to make but the numbers of library users were falling; while our other support is reaching an increasing number of clergy households (1 in 5 in the Church of England). Closing an underused service means more of our money can be spent where it is needed most.

Only 30% of potential users access the Library regularly, and despite extensive marketing and advertising, we have been unable to encourage a higher take-up of the service. A significant number of existing Library users have also told us it is not meeting their needs.

The Library was a timely resource that met the needs of ordinands and curates, especially during the pandemic, and the Trust was privileged to support users with their studies at this most challenging time.

We are encouraged that the national Churches and training colleges have built on the success of the Clergy Support Trust Library and now offer their own online libraries. Therefore, it is the right time to retire our library.

Titles previously included in the Clergy Support Trust Library continue to be available through personal individual subscriptions to the SPCK and IVP apps.

We are thankful to SPCK/IVP for developing the Clergy Support Trust Library with us, to those who used it and provided valuable feedback.

The Trust continues to listen, review, and improve the Grants and Services offered to clergy households across the UK, Ireland, the Diocese in Europe, and the Diocese of Sodor and Man. Some offerings, like the Library, will reach a natural end. We celebrate its six years, the partnership, and the provision from the Church that succeeds it.

FAQs

When will my subscription end?

The Library closure date is 31st August 2024. Active subscriptions are being set to close on this date.

In the meantime, if you have any trouble accessing the Library, please contact SPCK support.

How can I access SPCK / IVP titles after the Library closes?

Access to books available in the combined Clergy Support Trust Library can be continued through personal individual subscriptions to the SPCK and IVP libraries.

The links are:

If you are studying Common Awards, you may also find some SPCK titles available within your Virtual Learning Environment.

How to remove a title from your device

When you add a book to your library, it can be downloaded onto a device. However, you might want to make space on the device or clean up your library to display books you are actively reading.

To remove a title from a device (but keep it in your Library):

Go to My Library > Downloaded
Click on a title once, to open the info page
Scroll to the bottom and click 'Remove from this device'
Click 'OK' and the book will be removed

You can still see the title under My Library > All and download it anytime.