Hello!
I am wondering if anyone has chosen to include any secular books in their libraries, and if so, what is the procedure that you followed?
Our pastor has highly recommended a secular book, written by a non-christian author. He believes the content is incredibly valuable.
We will be choosing to include it in our circulation, and will likely have more to follow, but we just want to make sure we're doing it well and with sensitivity.
Signage? Labels? What would you recommend?
Thank you!
Amber
Replies
Our church library does not include secular books. To stay withing budget and space constraints, I make an effort to focus on materials that cannot be obtained for free elsewhere. Our region has a robust public library system and secular books mentioned or recommended by our pastors (for example, Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation") are usually so easily accessible both in the physical libraries and the public library system app that it's unnecessary to own a copy in our own building. In the same way, I don't include secular or even extremely popular children's literature series (most families have The Chronicles of Narnia anyway, and every public library owns them).
Beyond issues of space and budget, it's important to us that the items in the collection support the doctrines of the church and don't cause confusion for believers in earlier stages of their walk. It's simpler for everyone if we don't include items that need to be qualified, you know? This is also part of the reason that we don't have fiction beyond the youth collection.
Are you saying you have no Adult Christian Fiction ? Also, how about Children's books - do you only include Christian fiction and non-fiction books for Chrildren?
Yep, no adult fiction at all.
For children, only books by Christian authors, ideally with Christian themes, even subtly. We may have one or two picture books that don't meet these qualifications which predate me.
Our TinyCat is here if you're curious.
Again, we have an EXTREMELY robust state public library network where people can get a broad range of secular materials.
GREAT point, Melanie!
Morley, I have very few secular fiction books in our church library, including A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and Silas Marner by George Eliot, because both authors were Christians, and wove tenets from the Scriptures into these books. And because they are wonderful classics!
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