How to fix your parish library

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Re: book of Mormon and the Koran

Funny, a parishioner asked me just yesterday whether we would have a copy of the Koran. I responded “Absolutely not.” If they really want to read it, get it from the public library. We are small. I would also not take a book on Satanism, Wicca or witchcraft, Christian Science (Scientology), neo-paganism or other sects. As you said, the library exists to help people, not confuse. Of course, what you do in your own library is up to you.

But a committee has to draw the line somewhere.

I will also look into the Loyola Classics Series from Loyola Press

Catholic, Reluctantly is targeted at teens; I started it, but didn’t get far. It’s about a v small Catholic high school just gettting off the ground. There is a real mix of mostly white urban kids attending.
I know what you mean about blanket statements that say only Catholic authors. It’s safer to say “no Catholic authors, as a rule.”
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Er, I think you meant to say “no non-Catholic authors”?😉
Here’s what I’d love to do … have a large selection of Catholic fiction, biographies, and poetry. For example, I think Sigrid Undset’s historical fiction should be there. I’ve also heard that there is a crop of Catholic romance novels. Does anyone know more about this?
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The one I mentioned above, Catholic Reluctantly might be one in the series you’re thinking of. Google the title, and you’ll probably find it.

I just rec’d the trilogy by Sigrid Undstet for my birthday! I don’t tend to read much fiction, but her writing is easy, and the main character has such a soap-opera drama life, I think girls might like it. She buys some expensive shoes in one scene! Who can’t relate to that these days?? And she falls for the rogue even though her parents want her to marry the stable stalwart fellow; but consequences follow. Catholicism is prominent, but there is a priest who is wicked. He gets the justice due him, though.

Father Elijah is one I’m going to re-read soon. I’ve read a few of Michael O’Brien’s other books, too. Many are quick thick.

Mimi
 
Good to hear from you Mimi. I’m going to be too busy this weekend to reply at length, but I want to take time to consider your thoughtful post. I’m going to attend a graduation - she’s getting her materr’s degree in Library Science.
 
The first priority for purchase should be books by and about the saints, all other books with the exception of official documents, are secondary.

After that books by ordinary Catholic authors, with a close eye paid to prune out dissenters in disguise with their bad theology.

There really shouldn’t be other books there, that’s what public libraries are for.

😃
 
Shin said:
The first priority for purchase should be books by and about the saints, all other books with the exception of official documents, are secondary.

After that books by ordinary Catholic authors, with a close eye paid to prune out dissenters in disguise with their bad theology.

There really shouldn’t be other books there, that’s what public libraries are for.

😃
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While I heartily agree with (esp.) your last line, others think we should not “discard” good books. I intend to stand firm with our present policy.

One lady wanted to know why the book she donated (handed down to her from deceased parents) was not on the shelf. But as she couldn’t even tell me the title, and having been donated before I got involved, how was I to give a good reason?

Call to Action is on the move here, and I have learned a lot about who’s who in that line.
If you’d like the list of names I’ve collected so far, PM me. I should keep that list in my prayers regularly.

Sit Nomen Domini Benedictum (Blessed be the Name of God)

Mimi
 
Mimi said:
While I heartily agree with (esp.) your last line, others think we should not “discard” good books. I intend to stand firm with our present policy.
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I don’t think anyone here is talking about discarding “good books”. It’s not bad to sell off un-useful books, but if they’re going to warp an innocent person’s spiritual health…I recommend turning that “good book” into an unusable book.
One lady wanted to know why the book she donated (handed down to her from deceased parents) was not on the shelf. But as she couldn’t even tell me the title, and having been donated before I got involved, how was I to give a good reason?
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Wait so how did she know it wasn’t there? Doesn’t sound like it’s important, nor your problem.
 
I’ve glanced at all the posts but maybe I may have missed this idea – to have a list of books that people might want to get from a general library, even if the books are not available in the parish library.

The internet itself is such a big resource for books of all types, I question what the mission of a parish library would be, in such an ocean of printed material. Perhaps that’s it, to have the best available for ready access in the parish, on either a book loan basis or by having a reference section of more technical works.

I’m reading some high-quality Jewish Bible commentaries on the Torah, the Pentateuch. Yes, they are a bit polemical and anti-Christian at times, in a very conspicuous way. But, the insights generally are amazing, giving me an understanding at a much greater depth than I’ve found in Catholic works.

the Pontifical Biblical Commision issued a document in 1993 on the Interpretation of the Bible in the Church and it sanctioned the use of non-Catholic materials as an adjunct to Catholic Bible Study. These may not be suitable for those starting out on Bible study but might be suitable for more advanced and focused study.

There’s a section in the New Jerome Bible Commentary on approved versions of the Bible for Catholic Study, and it generally approves non-Catholic translations that are not specifically anti-catholic in nature. This was a decision of the 1917 or 1918 Code of Canon Law, to permit this – most likely intended to unfetter research at academic levels.
 
Joan_REDirector said:
We’ve been trying to get our parish library going for years. We inherited a convent building and professional library when the sisters who once taught in our schools departed. Our stumbling block was how to organize the 1000 plus collection … with no money. Year after year a new victim tried to get our books organized only to go down in defeat. Finally, a professional librarian took on the project as a work of charity. With the help on a volunteer staff (the only kind we can afford), we are now getting all the books organized and cataloged. The hardest part was following her advice to suspend judgement on any book until everything was processed.
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I think this is a mistake if the goal is to provide a resource for increased understanding of Catholic theology. The vast majority of theological and philosophical writings are not merely collections of random thoughts and ideas of the nature and existence of God; they are rebuttals to the ideas of the authors’ predecessors and contemporaries. I don’t believe you can understand the rebuttal if you don’t understand what it is that the author is opposing. In other words, your intentions are noble but you can’t expect people to understand why something is heretical if they don’t understand the heresy. I also believe it’s very important for people to understand the evolution of the philosophy of religion from the very beginning to the present day.
 
Well the parish library isn’t really for theologians, it’s for the average parishioner…besides, resources like the catechism and various histories already cover a sufficient list of errant teachings. It’s best to have a solid foundation before all else.
 
Hi, Mimi, and all;

Just got back from a big, looong weekend and have been catching up on this post. Lots of food for thought. I’m interested to hear your different takes on including the sacred writings of other religious traditions on the reference shelf. Some of you say yes; some say no. I agree that drivel from movie stars and loons about the occult, new ageism, and satatnism shouldn’t be there.

To our horror, we found a book on the shelves, autographed by the author no less, that purported to be automatic writing from “the spirits.” A well-meaning parishoner had been to a lecture by this author and didn’t see anything wrong with his insights. I think we’d agree such a book is downright dangerous and certainly not fit for a parish library.

On the other hand, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Upanishads, and the like can be in your reference section for purposes of apologetics and evangelization. The way a library is organized makes it clear that these works are in no way equal with the Bible. Rather, they make us better able to preach the good news to sincere seekers of truth who do not yet know any better.

Catholic literature is lively and diverse. It looks at the whole human sprectrum with the light of the Holy Spirit. A truly Catholic library wouldn’t be mean, fearful, and small. It would be bursting with joy, confidence, and light.

Joan
 
Rocky8311 said:
Well the parish library isn’t really for theologians, it’s for the average parishioner…besides, resources like the catechism and various histories already cover a sufficient list of errant teachings. It’s best to have a solid foundation before all else.
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I guess that’s where we disagree. I don’t believe you can have a solid foundation unless you have an excellent understanding of the alternatives so you can make an informed decision. Unfortunately, in my experience, the majority of religious never made an informed decision and never really had a journey of faith. The answer to why they are members of a particular religion usually boils down to “because I was raised this way”. Additionally, isn’t the point of this library to develop the minds of the “average parishioner” with the ultimate goal of transforming them into above average parishioners? It’s a travesty that so few people have even a decent understanding of their own religion and I don’t believe in maintaining the status quo of ignorance or dumbing down the evolution and teachings of the Church so that the “average” person doesn’t have the put forth the effort to become extraordinary. These days, most people want someone else to do the intellectual heavy lifting for them and we shouldn’t cater to intellectual sloth.
 
EmperorNapoleon said:
I guess that’s where we disagree. I don’t believe you can have a solid foundation unless you have an excellent understanding of the alternatives so you can make an informed decision. Unfortunately, in my experience, the majority of religious never made an informed decision and never really had a journey of faith. The answer to why they are members of a particular religion usually boils down to “because I was raised this way”. Additionally, isn’t the point of this library to develop the minds of the “average parishioner” with the ultimate goal of transforming them into above average parishioners? It’s a travesty that so few people have even a decent understanding of their own religion and I don’t believe in maintaining the status quo of ignorance or dumbing down the evolution and teachings of the Church so that the “average” person doesn’t have the put forth the effort to become extraordinary. These days, most people want someone else to do the intellectual heavy lifting for them and we shouldn’t cater to intellectual sloth.
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Intellectual development occurs in stages. The student should reach higher, yes - but what he is reaching for should be within his grasp.

You don’t go from walking to high-jumping. You start with low hurdle-jumping, and then raise the bar gradually. It’s the same with intellectual pursuits. You start low, and go up gradually. You begin with story-telling. In this case, conversion stories are a good place to start, and stories about Catholic families overcoming challenges by means of the practice of their faith. For this reason, good Catholic story books should feature prominently in the parish library.
 
Mimi and others,

Thanks so much for your informative posts. I’ve taken over our little parish library and am struggling with mountains of problematic books, very few quality Catholic books, and no budget. I’ve been weeding out all of the CTA type authors by doing internet searches on each book, but it’s slow going. I’m starting to think if it was written in the 80’s or 90’s, it’s highly suspect! I am going to rework your mission statement for our parish and present it to the pastor, since we don’t have any official guidelines for our library yet.

I just finished CRY OF STONE, by Michael O’Brien. I’ve now read all of his novels, and absolutely loved them (even though they are fat). I agree that there are some books by non-Catholics that are useful in a parish library, but in general, I’m not planning on putting Protestant devotional and self-help books in, since we have limited space and I think the focus should be on high quality Catholic books.

Regarding works from other religions, I would think that would depend on how much space you have, and on the purpose of your library. In our case, we have so little room and our parishoners are so uneducated in the faith, I don’t think I will be including those types of works. But if the library were to grow, and maybe an apologetics class developed which could use those kind of references, I would definitely consider adding them.

As far as putting disclaimers in the front of the books, I don’t think many of the books are worth the time or effort. They all seem to repeat the same litany of dissent. My kids tell me that I should have different shelves for “Heretical Works,” “Questionable Works,” “Reliable Works!”

I’m also excited about including cd’s and dvd’s, which I’m usually donating from my own collection. I hope to attract more interest in the library once I’ve got it up and running.
 
RosaMystica said:
Mimi and others,

Thanks so much for your informative posts. I’ve taken over our little parish library and am struggling with mountains of problematic books, very few quality Catholic books, and no budget. I’ve been weeding out all of the CTA type authors by doing internet searches on each book, but it’s slow going. I’m starting to think if it was written in the 80’s or 90’s, it’s highly suspect! I am going to rework your mission statement for our parish and present it to the pastor, since we don’t have any official guidelines for our library yet.

I just finished CRY OF STONE, by Michael O’Brien. I’ve now read all of his novels, and absolutely loved them (even though they are fat). I agree that there are some books by non-Catholics that are useful in a parish library, but in general, I’m not planning on putting Protestant devotional and self-help books in, since we have limited space and I think the focus should be on high quality Catholic books.

Regarding works from other religions, I would think that would depend on how much space you have, and on the purpose of your library. In our case, we have so little room and our parishoners are so uneducated in the faith, I don’t think I will be including those types of works. But if the library were to grow, and maybe an apologetics class developed which could use those kind of references, I would definitely consider adding them.

As far as putting disclaimers in the front of the books, I don’t think many of the books are worth the time or effort. They all seem to repeat the same litany of dissent. My kids tell me that I should have different shelves for “Heretical Works,” “Questionable Works,” “Reliable Works!”

I’m also excited about including cd’s and dvd’s, which I’m usually donating from my own collection. I hope to attract more interest in the library once I’ve got it up and running.
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Dear RosaMystica

Thanks for your post. I love your kid’s system, “Heretical Works,” “Questionable Works,” Reliable Works." I’m going on vacation next week and will definitly look your author, Michael O’Brian. “Cry of Stone” you say?

Blessings to all libraians!
 
Re: Michael O’Brien’s books

I’m just now about in the middle of Father Elijah! I think I have read all the others. This is the 2nd time for me for this one, however, I seem to be recalling almost none of it, it was so long ago since I first read it. I don’t even remember it being a thick book.

RosaMystica, PM me if you’d like a listing of questionable authors (which I have found on Catholic sites that list dissenters). Some will be obvious just from the title (Is Jesus God?. I think the author got his words mixed up on that one.

Our library is a bit stalled at this point. We have 2 nice handmade bookcases, but before filling them we want to move them to a more open and easy-to-see-and-use area at one end of a hall which is sometimes used for dinners and other activities. It has nice natural light, though. Theft & vandalism may be a concern, though I’d opt for seeing if this is a problem, then move it back to the area where the collection currently is. There is plenty of space for more bookcases in the new and more open area, as well as a seating area.

Next on my Catholic reading list is Flannery O’Conner. She wrote only 3 books (though I may be wrong), died young, but had quite an influence as an author.

Will keep you posted on what happens next month after meeting with others who also use the proposed new space for the library.

Hope to hear from you other librarians sometime. Summer has been a bit slow I guess.

God bless,
Mimi
 
Hi sister and brother librarians!

Summer has been slow. Everyone is on vacation but we are all coming back for a sweltering August in the Seattle area. We are not weather wimps up here. We have no air conditioning. Our library and adjoining lovely but airless adoration chapel have NO air conditioning.

Any more good Catholic reads out there. I have yet to order a copy of Michael O’Brien’s latest.

What are the chances of getting discards from college libraries of reference works like collected works of the early church fathers and the like?

JoanREDirector
 
Used books can be had for good discounts from Alibris.com.

Other than that, I don’t know.

Our committee has asked other parish groups to buy specific titles. After they give their “okay” we buy the books, then they reimburse us. Ususally it’s for $100.00 or less. We are building our reference section this way.

Mimi
 
Mimi said:
Used books can be had for good discounts from Alibris.com.

Other than that, I don’t know.

Our committee has asked other parish groups to buy specific titles. After they give their “okay” we buy the books, then they reimburse us. Ususally it’s for $100.00 or less. We are building our reference section this way.

Mimi
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Thanks, Mimi.
 
JoanREDirector said:
Thanks, Mimi.
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You are most welcome!

Here’s another book suggestion:
Today on Catholic Answers Live! the guest was the author of The Catechist’s Magic Kit by Angelo Stagnaro
.amazon.com/dp/0824525183?tag=ednpejdjcd-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0824525183&adid=1X509YHQP7AE6N701HEM&

I thought this sounded like a lot of fun just to read even though I’m not a catechist, but I may be some day. What a great way to illustrate & engage kids & share the Faith!
It received a Nihil Obstat.

God Bless,
Mimi
 
Wow, Mimi. I listened to the same radio program and vowed to get the book. Thanx for the website. I just leaving for a work party at the library today. I’m going to tell them about this thread. What a bunch of personalities … they should make a lively addition.

Just read an interesting article about “Catholic identity” in the Oregon Catholic Press publication “Today’s Liturgy.” (All you out there who have problems with OCP don’t jump on me. I work with what I have.) The article title is “Catholic Generations” and the author is Ken Canado. He has some things to say about the state of Catholic catechesis that would resonate with posters here. I think the parish library can do a tremendous amount of good in this area. Wish I had the link but I’m not savy enough to get it.

Blessings
Joan
 
As far as fiction goes… Anne Rice (yes, the same one who wrote Interview With a Vampire and several other… spooky books) is a recent revert to Catholicism. She has two books out in a series, Christ the Lord, a historical fiction about Christ’s life. They are Out of Egypt and The Road to Cana. I am unsure when the third one is due. Though I do not care for her other works (even during my own “goth” days), I did appreciate the fact that she does tremendous research about the time periods that she is writing in, and even one of my history professors recommended some of her books to get an idea of the historical period written about in a certain book.

I’ve read both books that are currently out in the Christ the Lord series. I don’t see any erronious information, and in fact, I recognize some of the events that happens is taken from the Protoevangelum of James and other Apocryphal works. Though there are some fictional characters, the information about Jesus Christ is spot on.

E
 
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