Trampin' On Our Turf

In a recent conversation with a fellow church librarian, I came across an issue that I have not experienced personally, but one that is incredibly frustrating to those that do. 

If there’s one thing a church librarian will protect above all else, it’s his or her library’s budget. Every year it’s the same thing; there is an enormous amount of materials that should be purchased but never enough money. So we scrimp and save, taking advantage of the sales and discounts while constantly keeping a close eye on the bottom line.

Despite our best efforts, there’s always something that shatters our attempt to maintain a decent budget. Sometimes it’s cutbacks and other times it’s “cut-ins”. This is a useful little term to describe other committees in the church who view the library’s budget as a free-for-all. For instance, perhaps one group has used their entire budget to send a few members of a conference then suddenly discover some useful resources that, although they will never be catalogued or sit on the shelves of the church library, are nevertheless ‘books’ and should be purchased using the library’s budget. Or maybe there’s another committee that feels as if the library is not purchasing enough of a certain subject. It doesn’t matter that no one else in the congregation would ever glance at the book’s cover, they should be purchased anyway, and on the church library’s dime. But no, let’s take that one step further, this committee deems it necessary that future church library budgets should reserve a certain amount of money for books that they wish to purchase. Forgive me if I’m understanding this situation incorrectly but, isn’t that what your budget is for? As church librarians, we are all for equality and availability but if the library’s budget is going to simply be diced into tiny portions for each committee to use as they see fit, a church librarian has suddenly transformed from a buyer of the books to a gopher for the groups. And at that point, ladies and gentlemen - I, for one, will bow out. 

A Dying Breed...

We interrupt this Pinterest Presentation for an important announcement…

Something was posted on the National Church Library Association’s Facebook page this week and that something concerned me a great deal. Due to declining membership and insufficient funding, the NCLA will be closing up shop at the end of this year. This announcement came as a surprise to me as I have often enjoying checking their Facebook page, searching through forum archives and reading Branches, the NCLA’s monthly e-newsletter. 

What’s even more disturbing is that the NCLA has been in existence for over 50 years. How could such an excellent organization like this come to such a swift and abrupt end after five decades of leadership for church libraries? Every organization has their ups and downs, to be sure. But to cease existence? That is not only troublesome, it may also be an indication of the future of other church library associations that may currently range from a thriving presence to existing on a wing and, as always, a prayer. 

What has seen this dramatically negative change come about? Financial uncertainty may take centre stage but there are always other contributing factors waiting in the wings. Lack of interest? Dwindling participation? Isn’t there some random fact that states 80% of the work done in a church family is completed by 10% of the congregation? I’m willing to bet that similar numbers exist in volunteer organizations. I can write this without malice as I was part of the local church library association and it was not easy to find people to replace those who had been on the board for almost a decade.  

So what does this all mean? For one thing, a number of church librarians who used to depend on the NCLA will be left in the lurch. It was interesting to note how quickly other surviving church librarian associations swooped in to leave their information for potential members! Although I’m sure those posting meant well, it was bordering on exploitation – but that’s another matter altogether. 

Like any other library these days, the church library has to fight to survive and must have a dedicated group at the helm to keep patrons (and the budget!) coming back. I always found that an association not only gives credence to one’s work but also offers a support system. I hope that members of the former NCLA will be able to find other avenues of support, whether online or in person, to keep their church library ministry alive and well! 

Bookcase Discovery!

I have been on the prowl for a good quality, yet inexpensive bookcase for the church library for close to a year now. Our fiction bookshelves are packed so tightly that people are simply leaving books harem sacrum around the library because there’s no more room to wedge them in. My library volunteers are at their wits' end.

I had my eye on an Ikea bookcase that matched the colour of our existing furniture and wouldn’t take up half of our annual budget. But as the end of the year approached and I looked at the money remaining for collection development, I decided to stick to kijiji and save the funds for book buying! Finally, just last week, my prayers and hard work was answered as I discovered a really nice three-shelf bookcase for sale just down the highway! I saw it, messaged them and picked it up the same day. And, get this, it was only $10.00!! TEN DOLLARS. That’s music to a church librarian’s ears. Now to find the time to get it to the church and set up….

Wish List: Book Returns

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Don't Sweat the Sticky Stuff

It’s the little things, the seemingly insignificant issues that can really give you a headache. Like that miniscule coffee stain you can’t scrub off the front of your favourite blouse. Or that tiny crack in your windshield that seems to reflect every ray of sunshine right into your eye. For me, as a church librarian, it’s the sticky stuff – or lack thereof.

Although I’m no luddite myself and would dearly love to have the church library collection on a barcode system, the fact remains that I must still process my library materials through date-stamped cards. This is, of course, due to lack of space (the library also houses the church photocopier and serves as a meeting room so it cannot be locked when a library volunteer isn’t there) and our budget. As the card system has gone the way of the dinosaur for many other church libraries, here it is alive and well! Therefore, some of my headaches stem from problems that are difficult to find solutions for as many of my allies in church librarianship have traded in their date stamps for barcode wands.

And so, to the matter at hand.

Over the last four years, I have had my patience tried and tested again and again with…..card envelopes. You wouldn’t believe it to look at them but those pesky things can be problematic for one’s patience and troublesome to one’s time. The issue is, they simply don’t stick. Oh, I know I could take the easy way out and purchase self-adhesive envelopes but then my priorities as a librarian would be definitely be defective. With my shrinking budget and growing patronage, I spend every penny I can on materials for the library and a very small amount on supplies.

I’ve used tape: scotch, masking and double sided (I stopped at duct tape – that was going a little overboard)   

I’ve used glue: sticks, white, clear and yes, even super glue

None of these options worked. Some held out longer than others but eventually, a patron would approach me with that cursed envelope in one hand and a book in the other saying those dreaded four words, “Can you fix this?”

And then, one afternoon while putting photos in my son’s baby book, I had an epiphany! Double-sided mounting squares!! Often used by scrapbooking gurus, these little sticky squares were easy-to-use, less messy and, best of all, on budget!

Available at any craft store (in my case, Michaels) and with the use of those handy-dandy 40% off weekly coupons, one box of these squares takes me a long way. With that in mind, I breathe a huge sigh of relief and cross another item off my list. One less thing to worry about!