Does your church have a library?

I would like to start a library at our church. There are some books already set up like a library but no one ever uses them. Since I know nothing about the dewey-decimal system I guess I have better do some research first. Also, I guess a church library would be a little different with books being arranged by subject matter much like a bookstore. Well, it looks like a have a project for myself (if the folks agree, of course).

 

you need to have a good system of which books will be allowed and which will not.

 

My church offers a library, and just outside the library there is a place where people can buy some Christian books. (For those who are curious, our church has a worship center, and an education building. The library is in the education building away from the worship center.)

There might be someone in your church who has library experience who would like to help set one up.

The first books I ever read about great missionaries came from my church library.

 

Yes, mine does.

 

As a public librarian, I think everyone should have a library but...in rural communites, and perhaps in some towns, it simply isn't practical. So, for those, you might consider a church library for a group of churches who are close enough together to be useful. Some very large churches might have the resources to run a proper library, but most will not, so consider pooling resources with other churches in your area. We have such a regional church library for our group of like minded churches.

Theological books in the public libraries do not circulate well, but some "insprirational" books do, so, you might also consider well chosen books to donate to your local public library. Talk to your library director to see what the rules are, and just don't show up with a bunch of ratty old books with religious themes.

 

My church has a library. It has a broke down ping-pong table in it.

 

We had a book shelf before we moved out of the old building. That shelf and the books are now in storage.

Of course, the books all belonged to our first pastor, so I don't know that you could say we really owned any books.

We've got bibles and a couple concordances. I think that is enough for what our purpose in church is.

 

Our church does not have a library. We are members of a very small church membership. I really do not know how I feel about a library being in God's house because is there any more important book to be in God's house other than our bibles which we all should take when we enter God's house because if we do not take our bibles it is like a student going to class without thier school books. So, reall I do not know how I feel for sure about the library issue .

 

Yes, we have one; but hardly anybody uses it. Most would rather spend $50-100 for a DVD covering same material.

 

Media Center

 

Yes- actually we have two libraries.

The Main Library is on the church's main level, just across the commons area from the Worship Center. Currently it houses about 11,000 books, 500-600 VHS tapes, and a growing collection of DVD's. It's rare when I don't have something checked-out.

The Childrens' Library is on the lower level, nearer to our elementary-age children's Sunday School rooms. Currently it has about 3,000 books.

 

We have a very good library and many members donate books to it. We have also DVD and other media sections. I like the fact that we can get copies of sermons we have missed.

 

Yes we do have a library.
And I'm the girl who get's to spend the new books budget. (does the happy dance)

 

We have a bookstore. It would be really nice if there was a library too. I think our church would get good use out of it.

 

Ours at church has maybe 1000 books in it, hard for me to tell. My wife and I have probably 500 in ours. Mostly Christian living, all the concordances, most commentaries, some Greek literature, and a smattering of the classics. All of Tom Clancy's stuff and the like. Lately I've been buying political books, the most fascinating of which is Men in Black by Levin. One I can't get through is about President Clinton entitled "The Year of the Rat" which makes me so mad I put it down after just a few sentences. I've decided not to punish myself further with it. We all have library cards. Since I've been trucking I've cut way back on my reading.

Yes I believe all churches should encourage reading by furnishing a library as best they can.

 

We've got quite a nice media center. Link to my church's media center. I'm the media center director (mcdirector )

We have tons of theology/christian living books that are rarely circulated. Although, people like Max Lucado and Beth Moore are always checked out. Christian fiction is very popular.

I've worked hard to build up the science section with Christian works and the biography section with Christian bios, but they too are hardly ever checked out.

We also house DVD/VHS Bible study sets. They are very popular when they are new and occassionally see a revival after they have aged a bit.

 

Yes indeed, we do. My wife, who is a reading teacher/literacy coach started it. We pick up books from two local Christian college libraries who weed their collections out every now and then, from bookstores, from families who donate them after they've read them, from just about anywhere we can get them. We have over 34,000 volumes at the present time, along with an extensive DVD/video collection and a lot of floppy and CDRom archives. We are fortunate to have two retired school librarians in our midst who keep it in order, and keep it open through the week, every afternoon, and during Sunday School and Wednesday evening activities. We give library cards to anyone who comes by, church member or not. So far, it has worked well, and we rarely if ever have to replace anything.