Disorganized church libraries find a wealth of help from a fledgling group that helps them improve their services.
By JEAN JOHNSON
Published January 10, 2004
Church libraries are usually modest affairs. Often run by unskilled but energetic lay volunteers, the libraries typically contain a few thousand books to meet their congregation's quest for spiritual knowledge and answers about God.
"Almost every church library is set up and maintained by lay people, and they are floundering and don't know what to do," said Joyce Hosmer, a retired certified librarian who helps with the library at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Spring Hill.
But there is a fledgling organization in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties that is trying to help area churches improve their library services to members.
The Church and Synagogue Library Association Florida Nature Coast Chapter celebrated its first anniversary Wednesday .
Hosmer has played a key role in the organization.
Fellow St. Andrew's members, Deacon Mary Willow and Sally Cloughly, who runs the St. Andrew's Library, had been attending meetings of the St. Petersburg Suncoast Chapter of the Church and Synagogue Library Association for years when Hosmer joined them.
With Hosmer's experienced input, Cloughly and others organized the St. Andrew's Library, and members of the congregation started using the service in earnest.
Back then, the tiny library was squeezed into a corner of the church's original fellowship hall. Now the St. Andrew's self-contained library is in the new fellowship hall.
For years, the three members regularly attended the St. Petersburg Suncoast Chapter meetings, but Hosmer got tired of the travel.
"I loved the organization," said Hosmer, "but hated the drive to St. Pete and Largo."
She asked the president of the St. Petersburg chapter if it were possible to start a chapter up north, and with permission, Hosmer spent hours calling churches in Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties and mailing letters surveying interest in a chapter.
Hosmer finally heard from seven congregations that were anxious to join St. Andrew's in forming a regional chapter: First Baptist Church in Inverness, First United Methodist in New Port Richey, Shady Hills United Methodist, Temple Beth David in Spring Hill and St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Homosassa.
The group held organizational meetings in October 2002 and again in January 2003 when they elected a board of directors for the Florida Nature Coast Chapter of the Church and Synagogue Library Association.
A non-profit organization, the Church and Synagogue Library Association was formed in 1967 to provide educational guidance in establishing and maintaining congregational library services. Membership can be in the form of an individual, church, synagogue or institution. There also are affiliated, contributing and honorary memberships.
The national organization has a paid staff,including an administrator, a publications and book review editor and financial assistant. In addition to its publications, it offers training sessions, workshops, counseling and guidance.
Assistance is available in forming a new chapter. The organization also conducts an annual three-day conference to provide continuing education and publishes a series of guides on many aspects of library science targeted at the religious library.
The bi-monthly publication, Church and Synagogue Libraries, provides news, book and media reviews, bibliographies and articles on all aspects of organizing and operating effective libraries.
"CSLA is there with all kinds of help and assistance," said Hosmer, who said she benefits from the association educationally and personally. "It kind of brings me up to date with things. It gets in your blood."
Joyce Sukut of First Baptist Church of Inverness and Susan Kennedy of Crystal River Methodist Church have been members of the Nature Coast Chapter for about a year. Sukut is vice president and Kennedy is membership chairwoman.
"We need all the help we can get to help each other provide educational guidance, how to target members and maintain the library," said Sukut.
Although Sukut's library is small, it is well used and appreciated by the congregation, she said. Most of the 4,500 to 5,000 titles are in the religion section, but there is a good number in the fiction collection for juniors, adults, children and teens.
Adults are the most common users followed by kindergarteners and first-, second- and third-graders. A story hour is offered each Tuesday in which Sukut reads to the younger children.
"They get a kick out of it, but I probably like it as well as they do," said Sukut, a Montgomery, Ala., transplant who has been with First Baptist for 24 years.
Fran Lapidus of Temple Beth David Jewish Center is a person "who absolutely loves books and libraries."
Lapidus oversees the temple's library, which is in a room that also substitutes as a classroom.
"At this point, it's clearly an adult library," said Lapidus who teaches adult and biblical Hebrew.
Although there is not enough money to purchase many of the books on members' wish lists, funds become available when a temple member donates to a specific fund. Lapidus uses the Web site, half.com for discount purchases.
"We don't ask for anything foolish, and members donate books if they're moving or know of someone who is moving," said Lapidus, who moved to Spring Hill in 1999 from Boca Raton.
Susan Kennedy moved from Annandale, Va., to Crystal River in 1971 after her late husband retired from the Navy.
A retired public school librarian, Kennedy runs the Crystal River United Methodist Church library. One of her goals is to compile statistics to chart the congregation's interest in the 4,000-book library. If members use the books, then it justifies the church budgetary expense.
And as the Nature Coast Association's membership chairperson, Kennedy hopes to attract more congregation to the association.
"This is an inspiring organization for churches and synagogues to get together and encourage use of its library," said Kennedy.
To learn more
For information about the Church and Synagogue Library Association Florida Nature Coast Chapter, call any of the following officers: June Ainey, president, 666-6893; Joyce Sukut, vice president, (352) 726-7367; Emily Hamilton, secretary,(727) 856-4762; Myron Loew, treasurer, 684-4481 or Sue Kennedy, membership chairwoman, (352) 795-4941.
