Administration - The Circle - Church Librarians Network2024-03-29T07:31:49Zhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/feed/category/AdministrationEva Nell's Tour of the Central Baptist Church in Decatur, ALhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/eva-nell-s-tour-of-the-central-baptist-church-in-decatur-al2023-01-30T14:52:32.000Z2023-01-30T14:52:32.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Here's a video tour of the Central Baptist Church, Decatur, AL with an interview by Eva Nell and her pastor, Rob Jackson. Lots of ideas <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o1MGRAH2ao" target="_blank">here</a></strong>! Also a great time to remember our friend and leader, Eva Nell Hunter.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>Thinking Ahead Beyond the Pandemic: Fellowshiphttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/thinking-ahead-beyond-the-pandemic-fellowship2021-02-15T17:03:49.000Z2021-02-15T17:03:49.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Let's continue our reflection on Dr. Stauffer's list of predictions. Here's Number 5:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span class="Fid_45">"A newfound appreciation for in-person fellowship, worship and singing will continue to emerge.</span> <span class="Fid_47">After months of being apart and looking at a TV or computer screen, Christians are more than ready to see each other in person and embrace. This process will evolve slowly as more and more people receive the vaccination."</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span class="Fid_47">In what ways do you see church libraries picking up on a "newfound appreciation for in-person fellowship, worship, and singing"? </span></span></p>
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<p> </p></div>Thinking Ahead Beyond the Pandemic: Theological Questionshttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/thinking-ahead-beyond-the-pandemic-theological-questions2021-02-08T15:07:54.000Z2021-02-08T15:07:54.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Last Monday I posted an article by Dr. Clay Stauffer, a pastor in Nashville. He compiled a list of concerns that are currently appearing in several blogs written for pastors and church leaders. I suggest you and I need to consider this concerns because we need to be ready to align our library ministries to changes brought on by the pandemic. Otherwise, I fear many libraries will be left out in the cold. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Let's grapple with Stauffer's fourth concern today: (In case you missed the article link last week, read <strong><a href="https://nashvilletennessean-tn-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=0e64d6972" target="_blank">more</a></strong>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:12pt;"><span class="Fid_45">4. <strong>Difficult theological questions must be asked and explored.</strong></span><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:12pt;"><span class="Fid_47">Why does God allow a pandemic to happen? Why didn’t God stop the pandemic? How is God working in the midst of the pandemic? How is the faith community being called to serve those who are hurting?</span></span></p>
<p><span class="Fid_47" style="font-size:12pt;">Yes, publishers are providing books that are helping churches/synagogues deal with the pandemic. However, I am thinking we already have books and DVDs on our shelves that deal with these questions in a broader sense. What are ways we can step up and help our pastors/rabbis, leaders, and church/synagogue communities deal with these questions? Yes, we can display books and DVDs that address these types of questions. What about other aspects of our ministries? How can this concern become a window for us to show our leaders that we are on the same team with our pastor/rabbis and leaders?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Perhaps these questions are prayer concerns asking God to open our hearts and minds to what He would have us be and do that we are not being or doing right now. Let's prayerfully tear down the walls that keep us on the sidelines.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>Thinking Ahead Beyond the Pandemichttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/thinking-ahead-beyond-the-pandemic2021-01-26T13:44:34.000Z2021-01-26T13:44:34.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">An important part of what we face as church and synagogue librarians is connecting with what is happening in our faith families. Dr. Clay Stauffer is pastor of Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville. In Saturday’s Tennessean, he was the author of an interesting article about predictions about where we may find ourselves as a result of the pandemic. Lots of bloggers are doing such postings right now for pastors. Dr. Stauffer provides us with a collection of these predictions. Click <a href="https://nashvilletennessean-tn-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=0e64d6972">here</a> to read his article. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Let’s consider implications of these predictions for our library ministries. We need to be thinking ahead just like our church and synagogue leaders are doing right now. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">What implications do you see in this article that library ministries must embrace?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Are any of these predictions possible windows for our library ministries to consider moving what we do out of the shadows in to the light of filling possible gaps challenging our faith families beyond the pandemic?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Every faith family is unique. What are you already seeing in your own faith family?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Join us in this conversation through comments as we grapple with the future.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>The Impact of Relationshipshttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/the-impact-of-relationships2021-01-18T17:29:09.000Z2021-01-18T17:29:09.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">What are you reading and hearing about the importance of relationships in our churches and synagogues? Seems like that is a no-brainer question due to our COVID situation. But does “no-brainer” mean we should accept the obvious as well? Right now kids and youth ministries are moving a way from building programs and keeping attendance to focusing on building connections that result in relationships. If COVID is changing our longtime ministry models,you and I who serve in our churches’ libraries need to give some serious thought to how our library ministries need to adjust and align to the new models. Have you had a serious conversation with age group ministers/leaders in your church/synagogue? Does not matter what other churches are doing. Each of us need to find out what is happening in our own churches/synagogues.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">In the comments, let's grapple with the impact of shifts in our churches and synagogues on our library ministries.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>Children's Library Ministryhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/children-s-library-ministry2019-07-24T12:30:00.000Z2019-07-24T12:30:00.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p>Let's start sharing what we are doing through our library ministries with preschoolers and children. You are invited to join our new Children's Library group to share ideas and concerns. <strong><a href="https://churchlibrarians.ning.com/groups/children-s-libraries" target="_blank">Click here</a></strong>.</p>
<p>For all of us, let's share what is happening here. Perhaps these ideas will prompt some of us to invite new team members to develop a library ministry with preschoolers and children.</p>
<p>Are you hosting a book club this summer for children?</p>
<p>Does your church have a separate location for a children's library that is near the children's area? </p>
<p>Are you collaborating with the preschool and children's ministry leaders?</p></div>Facts and Trendshttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/facts-and-trends2018-10-26T21:04:39.000Z2018-10-26T21:04:39.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Do you have a subscription to Facts & Trends? I encourage you to get the new digital edition which replaced the print edition this Fall. Many libraries have had the print edition in their collections for years. Since that is no longer possible, I highly recommend library team members subscribe to this newsletter.</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>If you are unfamiliar with Facts & Trends, click <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="https://factsandtrends.net/archives/" target="_blank">here</a></span> to visit past issues. In case you missed it, our church library article is on pages 44-45 in the Fall 2017 edition.</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>To subscribe, click <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="https://factsandtrends.net/dailyinsights/" target="_blank">here</a></span>. </strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Be sure to note on the subscription page that you will also receive book giveaways to subscribers and resource recommendations. </strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Cheers!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Morlee Maynard</strong></span></p></div>Help!https://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/help2017-02-10T00:37:56.000Z2017-02-10T00:37:56.000ZBruce Alan Wilsonhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/BruceAlanWilson<div><p>Hello. I'm a member of St. John's Episcoapal Church, Charleston, WV; we have a 'library' consisting of some rather dusty, musty books which hardly anyone ever reads. Our new pastor wants to change this. Because I have an MLS, I've been asked to be point man on the project, but I've never actually designed a library from the ground up. HELP!</p></div>Church Library Ministry Vision Statementhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/church-library-ministry-vision-statement2015-09-15T13:38:01.000Z2015-09-15T13:38:01.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p>Donna Duncan from First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia recently joined the CLN. She shared their need to develop a vision statement that will help them serve their 21<sup>st</sup> Century church. One of our realizations in recent years has been the importance of our church libraries connecting in strategic ways to the vision statements of our churches. Let’s start a discussion on how our library teams have done that. Would you share how you did that and how you use this vision of where your team wants to be in the future in your planning process.</p></div>2014 Accomplishments and 2015 Goalshttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/2014-accomplishments-and-2015-goals2014-12-31T15:33:55.000Z2014-12-31T15:33:55.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>What are your 2014 Accomplishments and your 2015 goals for your church library? Click on comments here to respond. </strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Let's pray for each other as we seek to glorify God through our libraries in 2015.</strong></span></p></div>Prep and prayerhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/prep-and-prayer2014-07-27T18:42:33.000Z2014-07-27T18:42:33.000ZDeanna Kinghttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/DeannaKing<div><p>Thinking and praying about the best way to start up a new church library at Polson Alliance Church.<br /> We were given *bookstore shelving* (PTL) by another church.</p>
<p>We have boxes of already donated books and DVDs and videos.</p>
<p>We have the space in our fellowship hall and the approval of our elders/officers/pastor.</p>
<p>$0 budget but great potential!</p></div>A Check Points Experiencehttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/a-check-points-experience2014-06-02T12:53:52.000Z2014-06-02T12:53:52.000ZMorlee Maynardhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MorleeMaynard<div><p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">Recently, Dottie Almond from Hudson, NC emailed me about her team's successful use of the Check Points for Ministry guide. We thought you would enjoy seeing what is going on in Hudson.</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">Thanks for the <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}6055600499,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><span style="color:#000000;text-decoration:underline;">Check Points for Ministry</span></a></span> guide. Our biggest downfall is using the Desk Book and written instructions for tasks performed in the Media Center by a group of workers that have worked together effectively for many years. I update the Desk Book every few years but no one ever uses it. When we have new workers, we show them how we operate, promote, process, etc. rather than giving them written instructions. The staff meets once a week for our work/planning sessions and we seem to stay on top of things that way. I will work on some written instructions so if something happens to all of us, someone else could come in and pick up where we left off. However we did rank in the Excellent Library rating on the Check Points scale.</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">God has been so good to us this year. Many changes in the library (I now have two staffers with their Master’s in Library Science and one other staffer who works at the public library). In addition, our church moved into our new 3.4 million dollar Christian Life Center last January and had the note burning recently. We never had to have a mortgage. We are not a large church with a lot of money but God provided in miraculous ways. He will continue to provide. The library is in need of space, but our location is perfect, so until we can expand, we manage our collection by weeding and removing items that are not in much demand. I look forward with anticipation to see what He will do.</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">Dottie Almond, Media Center Director</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">First Baptist Church</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">Hudson, NC 28638</span></strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#000000;"><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;">Thank you, Dottie, for sharing your experiences with us! Congratulations! Based on First Baptist, Hudson's experiences, we encourage you to consider the <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}6055600499,original{{/staticFileLink}}">Check Points</a></span> process as an evaluation tool for your church library. To view and download the guide, click <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}6055600499,original{{/staticFileLink}}">here</a></span>.<br /> </span></span></p>
<p> </p></div>The Cowden-Smith Libraryhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/the-cowden-smith-library2014-01-17T04:42:45.000Z2014-01-17T04:42:45.000ZM. Bruce Maxianhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/MBruceMaxian<div><p>The First Presbyterian church (USA) of Sarasota, Florida has a new library. Over the past two years planing, design and relocation of the church library from a small, overgrown, humid and poorly located facility was accomplished. By combining and gutting two former classrooms and providing a proper environment for library materials the church now has a comfortable, working library. There is temperature/humidity control and wireless internet access. Shelving encircles most of the room (one wall not yet completed) and comfortable chairs have been donated. A significant section of the library serves the needs of the state certified pre-school program and the children and young adult classes. A plan is in progress to develop an Hispanic component of the collection to serve a growing part of the church congregation.</p>
<p>Just as the new library was completed for use our Librarian suffered an untimely death at an early age. With her loss we have established a Library Ministry Team to develop policies that were lost with the passing of Natalie Smith, MLS from Vanderbilt. We are in the process of providing a set of operational manuals that we will have to utilize for a number of volunteer church members who will each be on hand to "run"the library, each person for a few hours one different day of the week. The church treasury cannot support a full time professional librarian.</p>
<p>The above news is "tip of the ice berg" in terms of what work still needs to be done. In future I will hope to post a few photos of the library along with a progress report. My apology for the disjointed and incomplete report above. Time constraints only allowed me to use this as a beginning post.</p></div>Designing a Church Library (Part 3)https://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/designing-a-church-library-part-32013-02-15T01:30:00.000Z2013-02-15T01:30:00.000ZDevout Librarianhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/DevoutLibrarian<div><p> The end is in sight! Check out <a href="http://devoutlibrarian.blogspot.ca/2013/02/designing-church-library-survey-part-iii.html" target="_blank">part</a> 3 of the survey series! (and don't forget to fill out the mini survey on the left sidebar)</p></div>Designing a Church Library Survey (Part 2)https://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/designing-a-church-library-survey-part-22013-02-11T15:03:47.000Z2013-02-11T15:03:47.000ZDevout Librarianhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/DevoutLibrarian<div><p>Did you enjoy part 1? You can check out part 2 to this series <a href="http://devoutlibrarian.blogspot.ca/2013/02/designing-church-library-survey-part-ii.html" target="_blank">here</a>! </p></div>Church Library Survey Part 1https://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/church-library-survey2013-02-07T16:56:38.000Z2013-02-07T16:56:38.000ZDevout Librarianhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/DevoutLibrarian<div><p>Have you ever created a survey for your church library? If so - I'm all ears! In preparation to creating one myself, I've done some research. You can read part 1 <a href="http://devoutlibrarian.blogspot.ca/2013/02/designing-church-library-survey-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>! </p></div>Church Library Budgetshttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/church-library-budgets2013-01-29T15:19:51.000Z2013-01-29T15:19:51.000ZDevout Librarianhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/DevoutLibrarian<div><p>Has <a href="http://devoutlibrarian.blogspot.ca/2013/01/trampin-on-our-turf.html" target="_blank">this</a> ever happened to you? </p></div>No party but our work day is a lot of fun!https://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/no-party-but-our-work-day-is-a-lot-of-fun2012-12-04T04:27:56.000Z2012-12-04T04:27:56.000ZJoanne Ladewighttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/JoanneLadewig<div><p>We have grown in our library ministry from 8 women to 12 this year! We now have 4 teams of two library assistants each to run our library on Sunday mornings, (one team for each week of the month) plus a team of 2 for the 5th Sunday every third month. That leaves me (librarian) free to sub if needed, and we have a new gal who is inputing books in our automation system during the week. One of my "5th Sunday team" gals is now also doing my late book reminder calls or emails. Many hands, light work, much less burn-out! We are not having a Christmas party, but we are getting together to have a "Work Day" January 3, since several of our staff work for schools and have that week off. We always have such a good time of fellowship and laughter during our work days it's more like a party than work!</p></div>EQUIPhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/equip2012-05-09T02:13:25.000Z2012-05-09T02:13:25.000ZLynda Harringtonhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/LyndaHarrington219<div><p>We had one of our quarterly associational library meetings tonight. The program was an overview presentation of ECLM. One of the workers at our church had broken it down into (paper) notebook form to show everyone how easy it is to understand and complete. By the end of our meeting, a couple of the directors had challenged each other to see who could work towards the most certificates by August. We are excited to see what fruit will be produced over the next three months. This is a great tool for new training as well as review. Thanks, Morlee, for creating it!!!</p></div>A "Making Lemonade from Lemons" Libraryhttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/a-making-lemonade-from-lemons2010-07-19T00:50:30.000Z2010-07-19T00:50:30.000ZJoanne Ladewighttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/JoanneLadewig<div><div><span style="color:#1a0c00;font-family:Arial;font-size:small;">We've probably all heard the expression, "When Life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" Well, I'm not sure what Scripture might apply to a situation like that, but we had a medium-sized room for a library that was fine, except that several things beyond our control changed, and what was once a thriving location for us became known as "The Cave." Our library was no longer a location where the main congregation could access it easily or quickly, and as we all know, just as in real estate, location is everything! We were down to circulating less than 10 items on average a month; on some Sundays, no checkouts at all!</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#1a0c00;font-size:small;">We prayed for several years and finally convinced the board to let us move into a tiny room which had funtioned as a book store under the previous pastor, but was now turning into a junk room! We weeded dramatically and with the assistance of our talented custodian/carpenter, refit the room with shelving on two sides. He also built a return bin on casters for outside the library door, so books can be returned even when we're closed.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#1a0c00;font-family:Arial;font-size:small;">We managed to get a remaining collection of about 1,500 items into this small room by using three roll-out display carts in addition to the two walls of our room (one side is nonfiction, one side is fiction, and the third side is our counter area - it's almost a pie-shaped room squeezed into a corner of the hallway!). When we open, we roll the carts (which hold Children's, Youth, Young Adult, New Books, and monthly Featured Items) out into the open hallway area in front of the library which is a <strong>main access point</strong> from the front entrance to the adult classrooms as well as two of the sanctuary entrances and a staircase. We utilize about <u>twice as much area outside</u> in the hall as we have floor space inside the library itself, which puts our display carts right in the midst of the morning traffic flow! We now circulate about double the number of books plus DVDs each Sunday on average than we did <em>in a month</em> at our old location! In response, our church board doubled our annual support budget!</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#1a0c00;font-size:small;">Here are some other ways to "make lemonade" when circumstances are difficult. I hope others will share some ideas that have worked for them.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#1a0c00;font-family:Arial;font-size:small;">One way we stock our library is with donations or swaps. You probably get donations from your church patrons, but have you considered swapping duplicates with other church libraries? Our (Southern California) church librarians' group meets twice a year and we usually have plenty to swap - are there other church libraries in your area that might want to get together for fellowship and a book swap?</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#1a0c00;font-family:Arial;font-size:small;">Sometimes members bring things other than books to share as well - supplies no longer needed, etc. In addition, we also share info with our group via email. Most recently, a movie/game store chain closed in our state, and several of our members bought display units for pennies on the dollar.</span></div></div>Funding Optionshttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/Circle/funding-options2010-03-28T11:29:50.000Z2010-03-28T11:29:50.000ZRick Estephttps://churchlibrarians.ning.com/members/RickEstep<div><p>I need some ideas on how you acquire new funds for your libraries. Do you only receive funds through the budget of your church, do you have fundraisers, do you receive donations, etc.? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p></div>