Kansas Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB)

Church Libraries

Purpose

The purpose of the KNCSB church library program is to provide support for churches as they strive to fulfill the Great Commission.

Summer Roberson of Olathe, Kan., is the KNCSB church library consultant. She is a member of Blue Valley Baptist Church, Overland Park, Kan.
“Church libraries are my passion,” Roberson says. “I truly believe that God speaks to people through media.”

Send e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Church library update

Visit the church library update page

Leadership and skill development for church librarians

The heart of an effective ministry is an intentional strategy to develop the ministry and technical skills for all members of your team. Your association, two-state convention, and LifeWay Christian Resources are committed to assist you with excellent leadership development opportunities for your team. These opportunities include strategies you can use in your church building or home while others are events you can participate in with librarians from other churches.

Leadership development certificate plans for librarians and historians

The Christian Growth Study Plan (CGSP) is a free service designed to make leadership development easier for you and your team. You will find plans specifically designed for librarians. The service includes a free leadership development curriculum plan, a free record-keeping service, and a free certificate service. For further information, check the CGSP Web site or call 1.800.968.5519.

Church library Web site

You will find a variety of information on this Web site that will provide solutions to challenges every librarian faces throughout the year. Morlee Maynard, the leader of our National Church Library Ministry Team, now has a monthly update under the heading “Ministry Tools.” Two new articles are added every week. Watch for new enhancements to the site.

Church Library Information Service

Broadman & Holman offers an exciting new how-to resource for church librarians. It will become your tool for managing the information you receive through the Internet and conferences. The starter pack consists of 164 pages of information with tabs for administration, cataloging and classification, collection development, and promotion. This resource will never go out of date! Purchase this product from the LifeWay store

Associational and state-convention-sponsored events

Many associations and state conventions provide leadership development events for librarians and historians as well as consultation services. Contact your associational office and two-state convention office for information.

Helpful resources:

The LifeWay Christian Resources library Web site offers many resources for church libraries. Here are a few of the articles:

• “How to Begin or Renew a Church Library” Beginning a library ministry or reviving a dormant library is an exciting time in a church. In the beginning stages of planning a library, many questions must be answered. Sue Berthelot helps answer these questions. She is the library director for Ascension Baptist Church in Gonzales, La., and serves as a national church library ministry specialist.
• “Policies for Your Library — Developing and Revising” “A policy is a written statement of your library’s intentions. It can guide and determine present and future decisions,” Beth Andrews says. “Policies are living documents adaptable to change. They provide guidelines that can be modified, as your library’s needs change. Policies should put into action services that will meet the needs of the library customers in the church and community. The implementing of these services should include actions which carry out the spirit and intent of the policies.” Andrews is director of Media Library Ministries at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and a national church library ministry specialist.
• “Furnishing to Make Your Library Functional” Charles Businaro, a trained architect, gives tips on church media library space and furnishings.
• “Koinonia in the Church Library” Libraries can provide resources that meet the needs of the church family on many different levels,” Vickie Knierim says. “Media can provide information and training for members seeking to meet the needs of others. Resources can also provide information, encouragement, and direction directly to those in need.” Kneirim is a former director of the Mt. Juliet Public Library in Mt. Juliet, Tenn. She teaches the college-and-career class at Faith Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
• “Six Roles of the Church Library in Evangelism” Every church ministry, including the library, needs to stay focused on evangelism, which is the church’s primary task, C. Thomas Wright says. Wright serves in the Prayer Evangelism Unit of the North American Mission Board. For more information, visit http://www.namb.net/evangelism/prayer/
• “Weeding — Selective Reduction for Your Library” One of the necessary tasks that needs to be addressed at least annually is weeding the collection, Sue Berthelot says. “In order to keep all materials up to date and meet the needs of the library users with current information, selective reduction or weeding of the media is required.”

Mediagraphies

The LifeWay Christian Resources library Web site also offers mediagraphies listed by age groups:

• Younger children (birth through age 7)
• Juvenile (ages 8-11)
• Student
• Adult

To access these mediagraphies, go to the LifeWay library Web site and look under “Online Resources.” You may download the mediagraphies in PDF format.

These mediagraphies suggest resources for church libraries which are considering new purchases for these age groups. They are presented as an aid to librarians. All titles should be evaluated by your church’s selection policy to see if they are appropriate for your library.

2010 TRAINING EVENT:

KNCSB Church Library Ministry Conference
October 1-2
Webster Conference Center
Salina, Kan.