Librarians at the Evangelical Church Library Association Conference

Just wanted to post a note about the Conference, just held last weekend in Wheaton, IL. Tinna and Christy were there helping to techno-influence church librarians and assist them along the way and I understand they did a great job. The Conference provides free books, a great lunch, informative workshops and speakers, connections with new and old friends and an opportunity to be built up spiritually for the wonderful responsibility of being a church librarian. Next year will be in Wheaton again with Rosalie de Rosset of Moody Bible fame as the keynote speaker.

by Ceil - Outreach and Young Adult Services
10:44:00 PM

Best of the Web - Christianbook.com

Christianbook (http://www.cbd.com/) provides a wealth of resources for the Christian reader and the church librarian! Not only is it a great place to get discounts on the most in demand book titles and audiovisual resources, it also offers many interesting site features which are worth discovering. You can create a wish list of books that you would like to have in your collection. There is also a Members Reading Circle which provides a a free printable set of discussion questions on a featured title each month. In addition, it includes a list of author profiles which provides information on various Christian authors along with suggestions for author read-a-likes. Christianbook is a site that is well worth exploring.

Best of the Web: BibleGateway

I have not opened up a Bible in my home for over a year now! That is not to say that I do not read the Bible. Every morning I boot up my computer and go directly to
www.biblegateway.com/. This website offers over 21 English translations of the Bible along with the entire text of the Bible in languages such as Spanish, French, German, Korean, Russian, Arabic, etc. A complete list of the available versions can be found here: http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/

Along with the text of the Bible, there are other study tools. One of my favorite aspects of Biblegateway is that several of the translations are offerered in an audio format. Listening to the text read aloud can add another dimension of understanding for both advanced and struggling readers alike.

Best of the Web: Dawson McAllister Live

"Dawson McAllister Live is a call-in show designed to meet the needs of teenagers and young adults. Those 25 and younger call to talk about life's deepest needs and issues, such as broken families, abuse, depression, addictions, etc.

Dawson also provides an off-air HopeLine where teens and young adults can find answers to their problems in a one-on-one setting with a trained Phone Coach.

Life can be tough, and it helps when you can talk to someone who truly cares. Dawson McAllister Live is a place on the radio where teenagers and young adults can tell their story, receive support and encouragement, and be assured they are not alone. It's fast paced, compelling radio that draws listeners in as they share their hopes, fears and problems." - from http://www.dmlive.com/

If you know and care about teenagers, this is an important ministry to follow. The website allows you to listen online even if the radio show is not broadcast in your area.

Best of the Web: StudyLight

http://www.studylight.org/ is one-stop-shopping for many of your reference and Bible study needs. Traditional reference texts, though useful, are often bulky and expensive tomes that are not even allowed to leave the library. This site contains an entire reference collection including encyclopedias, devotionals, commentaries, reading plans, concordances and a parallel Bible in which you can choose your translations (and language). There are also forums for Bible study discussion. Best of all, it's fully to accessible from any computer with an internet connection!

His words teaching . . .

Welcome to the blog of the His Words Teaching Library & Information Ministry. Yeah, that's quite a mouthful. It seemed appropriate to start this blog with a message explaining how the title came into being. What it boils down to is two young women with a close friendship and a mutual calling to share His words with the world one book at a time! The words of the Casting Crowns song If We Are The Body describes our mission for the church and for the larger community quite well.

"If we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?"

We took these words as a challenge. In April of 2005, we founded a library for a small church in Six Lakes, MI. We hope that our little library and the services we offer will serve as both a ministry to this congregation and a mission to the larger community. God Bless!

"The Librarians"