Thank you for accepting me as a member of the Church Librarians Network. I have recently been approached by the elders at my local church to do a "feasibility " study on beginning a church library. Although I have some Library Science background, it has been many, many years since I have even used those skills (now out- of- date). I could really use some suggestions on where to begin. I think some of the things they want to know are: space, monetary investment, ongoing costs, etc. Thanks in advance for anything you could tell me.
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Kathy, check to see if it is ok to purchase a resource which will help in your journey of beginning a church library. Then find the LifeWay.com box under "our sponsors" in the right-hand column on this page; after you click through to the Church Library resource page, order the PDF download version of the Church Library Ministry Information Service for $19.99. It can be printed and placed in a binder. It has helps for operating all aspects of Church Library Ministry.
In the first section on Administration, there are helps for starting a church library. It will not answer all your questions, but gives you guidelines for going forward.
Sounds like a challenge, but as Paul Adams said, a very special challenge! Don't hesitate to keep asking questions on CLN and keep us informed as to your progress!
P.S. I think your skills will return more quickly that you think they will and even though we have different resources, I don't think your skills will be as outdated as you think!
Sandra, Thanks so much for information about LifeWay. I will certainly pursue finding their resources. I appreciate so much the help you and Paul have given me. Kathy
How special to be able to start a library from scratch. How big is your church? That would be a big part of all your decisions.
Thank you so much for responding. We average 375 on Sunday mornings, with a membership around 450. Sunday evenings are divided into "Home Teams" that meet in individual homes. Meeting at the building on Wednesday evenings averages 175. Thanks again, Kathy
Kathy
Give me a call at our library phone 901-347-5261 and I would be glad to talk to you from our perspective.
Paul
Paul, Thanks so much. I will probably be giving you a call soon. Kathy