Library Update:  April / May 2007

A library is very much like a garden – it requires a lot of weeding to clean things out so that it can grow. We’ve been working hard over the last few weeks weeding older and worn out books in the library to make room for new titles. So far, we have gone through about 80% of the collection. The books that have been removed were first placed out for members of the congregation to “adopt” and then the remaining ones were donated to the Book Rack in Vernon. Most of these titles will make their way to the state prison library system. Thank you very much Book Rack for your generous help!

So what about the books that are left? There is still some work left to do before you can check them out, but we’re getting closer to that goal. Right now, we’re adding them to something called LibraryThing. LibraryThing works a little like the online catalog at Manchester Public Library in that you can look up books on your computer to see what’s in the library. You can take a sneak peek at LibraryThing by going to http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=sumclibrary where you can browse through the books that have been entered so far. You’ll hear more about LibraryThing soon.

You may be wondering if you can donate books or other materials to the library. We gladly accept donations, but there are some guidelines to remember. Items must be in good condition and should reflect the needs and interests of the congregation. We accept books, videos, and DVDs, but not magazines. All donations will be reviewed by the pastors and items not added to the collection will be donated to other organizations for their use. We don’t want to accidentally give away your donation so please check with Pastor Krista before dropping anything off. If you have more questions, please refer to the collection development policy.

That’s all the news for this month. Thank you all for your continued support and best wishes for planting your own gardens this spring. Warm weather is sure to come soon!

Gary Atwood, Church Librarian