The WTLA was begun in 1954 by J. Stillson Judah, who served as its first president. The Association was composed of libraries and librarians in the Western United States, and its purpose was "to confer concerning matters of common interest to theological libraries." The group met as a whole and in northern and southern sections. There were cooperative projects such as union catalogs and union periodical lists. The Association died out when the GTU Library took over many of its functions.

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Collection is open for research.