Church Library Month

October is Church Library Month and is a great time to think of updating or starting your church library. If your church doesn’t yet have a library, you can find some great tips and ideas on how to get started here and here.

Brief History

The history of Church Library Month in America can arguably be traced back to 1946, when the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) was formed. However, ATLA was more geared toward establishing religious libraries in universities committed to advancing the study of religion and theology.

Then on November 12, 1958, at Virginia Beach, Virginia, the State Church Library Convention of Virginia was formed (changing its name to Virginia Church Library Association in 2014). This might have been the first convention of volunteer church librarians. Their stated goals were to promote church library ministries in the state of Virginia and beyond, to assist churches in establishing or revitalizing church libraries, to inform and train church library workers, to provide a strong support network for church library workers, to promote the correlation of the church library ministry with all ministries of the church, and to help pastoral staff and church program leaders understand the ministry of the church library and its resources.

And in 1970, the Evangelical Church Library Association was formed with a motto to promote church libraries to encourage Christian growth and to aid librarians and lay librarians in churches. They were also the organization that first proposed October as Church Library Month that same year. Since then, many church library associations have come together to celebrate Church Library Month.

The main purpose of a church library should be to equip the saints and support the mission of the local body.

The main purpose of a church library should be to equip the saints and support the mission of the local body. And while some churches see libraries as “old school,” choosing to discontinue them or to replace them with bookstores, church libraries are still vital and relevant ministries. And in today’s tough economic times, this is more evident than ever. Some congregation members can’t afford to purchase many Christian books, DVDs, or CDs but can easily borrow them from a church library.

A church library is a storehouse of materials that reinforces the gospel message and the church’s teachings, aiding people who want to dig deeper into theology. Libraries have also become a place where individuals and families can find entertainment that encourages them and enlightens their minds instead of assaulting their values.

Answers in Genesis Has Great Resources to Help You Stock Your Library

Many churches, though, have small (or no) libraries. What better way to start or expand your church library than by packing it with apologetic resources that will equip and encourage believers and that are solidly based on biblical authority? And, whether your church has a small or large library, consider adding some titles that have real “meat” in them: titles that answer the most common questions about creation/evolution, the age of the earth, dinosaurs, science, and the Bible.

What better way to start or expand your church library than by packing it with apologetic resources that will equip and encourage believers and that are solidly based on biblical authority?

We also produce the award-winning Answers magazine, which includes a Kid’s Answers section in every issue. And we have great supplemental materials like Bible maps and atlases so you can visualize where the events described in the Bible took place.

At Answers in Genesis, we produce both theological and scientific apologetic resources, and you can be assured that all the materials are based on Scripture as the ultimate authority. We also have children’s books, church history, devotional, and biblical archaeology books. And if you like music, videos, Christian fiction, and of course Bibles and commentaries, we have you covered.

If your church needs multiple copies of any resource, we offer bulk discounts. Additionally, if you are in Canada or the United Kingdom, we have online stores that will ship to you directly from your own country. When you visit your country’s site (links below), you’ll automatically start shopping from those stores, saving you expensive shipping and customs fees.

• Canada: AnswersInGenesis.ca
• United Kingdom: AnswersInGenesis.co.uk

During the month of October, our online store in the US is offering church library specials to help you fill your library. See all our resource specials and place your order today at AnswersBookstore.com.

Shop our Library Specials today!