Back in the 1920s and many years to follow, our two authors would never have thought of digital books. As you read what they wrote about the power of the printed page, include ebooks in all of their points. 

Direct quote from The Church Library Manual by Leona Lavender Althoff and Arthur Flake (1934) pages 15-16.

Here we can simply suggest the power of the printed page in the work of the churches. Set primarily to the tasks of winnning the lost and building Christlike character, the churches must not overlook this dynamic medium. Let the reader think into the evangelistic power of books and of how books on evangelism would strengthen the soul-winning fires of a church if a library were used to get them read. Consider the extension of soul-winning powers in to all missionary endeavors.

Think, then, into the practical value of books as a means of enlisting and training workers for service in the churches. Again, think of the spiritual character-building values of books that broaden Bible knowledge, deepen devotional life, heighten spiritual vision through inspiration, and strengthen the sinews of service in innumerable ways.

Surely, failure to appropriate the power of good books for the life of churches and of Christians is blindness more tragic in the realm of the spirit than failure to harness the power of a mighty waterfall in the realm of the material. Books can lift their readers to the heights or plunge them to the depths, and it is most arresting to consider that every civilized human being is affected by the fruits of the hearts and minds of those who have dared to express themselves in print. Like the ripple of the pebble dropped into a lake, thoughts are set in motion that spread to many another mind beforer they are spent. 

Even the hater of reading is influenced by what another reads. Printing presses are daily pouring out thousands of books and magazines. At some time in the past they have turned out word-pictures of crime and evil, of "isms" and false teachings, and today there is a harvest of the sowings. 

They have also turned out word-pictures of beauty and goodness, and there are, likewise, fruits from them. 

What a blessing it would be to have some part in saving readers from that which will harm them, and substitute in its place that which will strengthen and beautify their lives! How important it is for churches to grasp the idea of utilizing the printed page in the building of red-blooded Christian characters.

What jumps out to you as implications for our churches today?

Flake’s third reason was “A Need for Reading Guidance.” What are we doing today to meet that need? If you missed the introduction to this discussion, click here.

Flake and Lavender quoted a question that is still true for readers today: "Do you know that if you read this you cannot read that?" None of us have time to read all the books out there! They went on to write that believers should choose books that are worthy of our "precious" time. I'm sure I am not the only one that am regularly asked "what do you suggest?"

Just about everything we do falls into this category of recommendations. Just having the books and DVDs we have on the shelves is guiding people to find recommended books. These fiction and non-fiction books are guiding people in not only reading but also their spiritual growth and discipleship. Our selection policies keep us on track to have books and DVDs that our churches recommend.

How many of you use the promotion venues to recommend books? Last week we sent out our FHBC October email which featured pictures of our top 8 fiction authors that linked to their websites. Next month we will feature our top 8 non-fiction authors. 

What other ways to do you guide people to items in your church's collection?

Flake’s first reason was the fact that special libraries were found in most institutions in his day because they cannot trust other sources for its library sevices. These institutions include universities, colleges, high schools, hospitals, prisons, businesses, and law offices all had libraries focused on their concerns and needs. He also mentions "rental" libraries that focused on commercial purposes. Church libraries are considered special libraries to this day. Leona Lavender Althoff wrote: "The church library has the special privilege of bringing books to serve people who ordinarily do not seek them in other libraries." (The Church Library Manual (1934), p. 13)

Althoff went on to write: "Every church is sorely missing a real opportunity for spiritual service until it establishes and utilizes a good library of its very own." (p. 14). 

What about today?

Just shortly after transitioning my church's library to a broader ministry called the Enrichment Center, we discovered many people in our church used the public library. They verbally would tell our team that they did not need the church library. When we shared that we offered the same services that the public library did, they were surprised. They had no idea we had an online catalog and that they could email us what they wanted so that we could have it ready for them. And they were surprised we were open all the time with our self-checkout system. They are gradually starting to use our online catalog and include our library in their routines now. 

What are your thoughts about today compared to what Flack and Althoff wrote about their day (1930s)? What about our "opportunities for spiritual service"? Are your public libraries offering spiritual reading services today?

A common issue for church librarians these days seems to be the challenges some of us face with the leaders of our churches. While I am not seeing any increase in the numbers of churches closing their libraries, I am seeing an increase in the number of churches revitalizing or starting libraries. With that in mind, I started to put together a list of ways church libraries today contribute to the current making disciples strategies developing in our churches. While we are revitalizing and starting libraries, let's learn from our history.

The Church Librarians Network started in 1999 when a new church library team was launched at Lifeway. The Church Librarians Ministry magazine was discontinued so we thought we would launch a website where church librarians could get information but more importantly communicate with each other their ideas and their challenges. These have been amazing years of learning and growing together. But for Southern Baptists, church libraries started their journey back in 1927.

Arthur Flake is famous today for Flake's Formula which is being used by church leaders to grow churches through groups. In his day, those groups were called Sunday School classes. Due to his huge success in the church that he developed his formula, he became the first Secretary of the Department of Sunday School Administration at The Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway). He had experience with the Sunday Schools of that day that taught children on Sundays how to read by reading the Bible. The only day these children could go to school was Sunday, their only day off from work. These Sunday Schools that were in many eastern states had libraries. But they were disorganized and mishandled. Flake took a library vision with him to The Baptist Sunday School Board of what “active, functioning church libraries could mean in the development of all phases of church work and believing that the successful operation of church libraries depended upon a practical and adequate plan of administration and promotion.” (page 12) In 1927 he added the promotion of Sunday School Libraries to his department's duties by hiring a full-time employee, Leona Lavendar. 

Leona Lavendar Althoff along with Flake wrote the first how-to book for Southern Baptist church librarians, The Church Library Manual. They had the full support of all the departments at The Sunday School Board. The first chapter of this book is titled "Why Have a Church Library?" The chapter outline features these reasons:

The 7 Reasons for Church Libraries

1. A Day of Special Libraries
2. A Means of Introducing People to Books
3. A Need of Reading Guidance
4. The Power of the Printed Page
5. A General Lack of Available Books
6. Church Worker's Need for Special Books
7. Conversation of our Baptist Heritage 

Here's where we will plug in to their story. In the coming weeks, let's reflect on the seven reasons published in 1934. Those of you in other denominations, you are encouraged to share what you know about your denomination's church library roots. Each week I will post one of the reasons in a new post so that we can discussion each post separately with connections to our day. What does each reason look like in our churches today? What could it look like in our day? Is this reason one that we need to communicate with our pastors and church staff and leaders?

Yesterday my sister, Diane Moody, shared with me a note she received from a reader. God used this note to nudge her to keep on writing her current book. That note gave her the confidence she needed to keep going.

As we talked, it dawned on me that you and I have ministry opportunities with all the authors who have books on the shelves in our libraries. Let's share how we let God speak through us as we communicate with authors who are discipling the people who read their books through libraries.

On top of that, a relatively new member of our church brought me a copy of one of his books. He is an author! He and I had a great conversation. Share with us how you connect with authors in your church or synagogue family.

During our team planning session a couple of weeks ago we included an idea from a young adult who has joined our team: sponsor "author speak" events for our church members who are authors. How do you do that? What do you call it?

Morlee

I've started reading biographies for awhile. Must say I am finding this book fascinating. I have read articles about Hannah More that were focused on her connection with Wilberforce. But there is much more to her journey. She and her sisters played huge roles in making it possible for young women to be educated beyond home making during their day. 

Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary life of Hannah More . . . Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist

Written by Karen Swallow Prior

The enthralling biography of the woman writer who helped end the slave trade, changed Britain's upper classes, and taught a nation how to read. The history-changing reforms of Hannah More affected every level of 18th-Century British society through her keen intellect, literary achievements, collaborative spirit, strong Christian principles, and colorful personality. A woman without connections or status, More took the world of British letters by storm when she arrived in London from Bristol, becoming a best-selling author and acclaimed playwright and quickly befriending the author Samuel Johnson, the politician Horace Walpole, and the actor David Garrick. Yet she was also a leader in the Evangelical movement, using her cultural position and her pen to support the growth of education for the poor, the reform of morals and manners, and the abolition of Britain's slave trade. Fierce Convictions weaves together world and personal history into a stirring story of life that intersected with Wesley and Whitefield's Great Awakening, the rise and influence of Evangelicalism, and convulsive effects of the French Revolution. A woman of exceptional intellectual gifts and literary talent, Hannah More was above all a person whose faith compelled her both to engage her culture and to transform it.

Wow, a bunch of us are having a GREAT experience reading Charles Martin’s third book of his Murphy Shepherd series: The Record Keeper. I am assuming I am not the only one having many profound spiritual reading experiences while reading this book. Early in the book I found the following quote made by Shepherd of something his mentor taught him:

"... when a kernal of wheat falls to the grouund, it dies alone. But if it is buried, watered, and fertilized, it puts down roots, spirals toward the sun, blossoms, and produces fruit. And what comes up is never the same as what was buried. It's exponentially more."  (page 13)

As I read that I realized that is exactly what our church library teams need to grasp as we serve Christ as disciple making librarians. Engaging people with discipleship through books, DVDs, and other materials takes time. Just getting people to know we exist is a major part of watering and fertilizing. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus as He puts down the roots and causes them to spiral toward the son. 

I plan to share this quote and reflection with our team when we meet August 10 to plan our new year together.

Those of you reading this book, what are some of your takeaways?

Revitalization is the current term for restarting a church library. Many of our churches are in the revitalization mode for all of the church ministries. Most of our new CLN members respond that they their church is revitalizing the library. Let's share our revitalization stories. What is happening with your church's library?

Who will be first?

What problems are challenging our church’s/synagogue’s library teams? Let’s encourage each other with our prayers and encouragement. Perhaps there is comfort in finding out that our teams are not the only ones facing that challenge. Or we may find someone in the Church Librarians Network who has been through that challenge before us. His or her experience may help us.

We would love to see pictures of your church's library decorations and displays. Click here to open Photos then click on the red button in the top right corner of the photos. 

And we would love to know what your team plans to do beyond decorating. Are you using any ways to engage people in reading during the Christmas? Click on Comments below to share your plans.

Merry Christmas!

Nancy Martin emailed me last week asking about connecting with others who use Quick Cataloging with their online catalogs. She would like to add more libraries to her church’s catalog Quick Cataloging settings. 

If you would like to participate in sharing our Quick Cataloging information with each other, contact your software company’s online technicians to set up a z39.50 setting for your church’s or synagogue's catalog. They will send you the following information that other libraries can use to add your church’s catalog to their list of providers.

• IP Address
• Port
• Database Name

 If you want to see what it looks like, click here to open a 2017 reply made by Allison Maynard to Carol Roeder’s question about Quick Cataloging.

Would you share your setting information when you get it from your provider? Click on comment to share and include the name of your church or synagogue. 

Some of you already have the catalog z39.50 setting to share with other libraries. Share that information with the name of your church or synagogue in a comment here.

If you are an Atriuum User Group member, click here.

THANKS!

From Paul Jackson

Psalms & Music Influences of the Psalms on Western Music

https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-Music-Influences-Western/dp/1602802734

Psalms & Music Influences of the Psalms on Western Music [Max Stern] on Amazon.com. ... Psalms have been set to music more than any other biblical texts.

Today is my Mother’s 97^th birthday. She saw Jesus face to face many years ago so her memories are flooding my mind and heart today. Anita Hale was my inspiration to serve in Church Library Ministry. The thought occurred to me just now that she would have loved writing posts on the Church Librarians Network if it had been available during her days on the First Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK church library team. She was also active on the Tulsa Baptist Association Church Library team. Join me in honoring those God used in our lives to inspire us to make disciples one book at a time. Share your heritage in a comment here.

Must admit, I continue to be hooked on Charles Martin books these days. Since football season is big with my family, I thoroughly enjoyed his book, A Life Intercepted. The main characters inspired me to think through my relationships. The depth of the wife's love and faithfulness to her husband is giving me lots to reflect on as we are created in God's image. I highly recommend this book as a disciple making tool for adults, both men and women. 

Our team is currently hooked on Charles Martin books. Just about all of us have now read his Murphy Shepherd series. We are thinking through a strategy to encourage all parents to read these two books. The story truly ramps up awareness of what is currently happening with sex trafficing today. And spiritually it convicts us of the urgency to always remember the "one" in our lives that God wants us to keep searching for  . . . for Him to save.

Loved this story! I plan to add a prayer box to our library. 

I am inspired by Tandi, the main character, who let God transform her life through the written prayers of Iola whom she did not think she met before. 

Resiliency is powerful. May I let God transform my life to a resiliency that never gives up and pushes me to carry out God's plans for my life. Selah.

Suggestion: Read Wingate's The Sea Glass Sisters then read The Prayer Box.

Any VBS experiences to share for this summer?

Let's continue our reflection on Dr. Stauffer's list of predictions. Here's Number 5:

"A newfound appreciation for in-person fellowship, worship and singing will continue to emerge. 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."

In what ways do you see church libraries picking up on a "newfound appreciation for in-person fellowship, worship, and singing"?