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CHURCH LIBRARY LOCATION - Room F208 Franks Bldg. Across from the Church Office. "Enriching Minds So God Can Change Lives" The Church Library Ministry is a service organization. The Ministry supports the church staff and all the church ministries and programs for advancing the kingdom of God. The library provides media to lead people to know Jesus, to increase Bible knowledge, to strengthen personal faith and character, and to strengthen church leadership and ministry skills. Library Hours: Sun. 8:30 - 10:00, 11:10-11:20 AM & 4:45 - 6:00 PM Tues. 9:30 - 11:30 AM & 1:30 - 4:00 PM Wed. 9:30 - 11:30 AM; 1:30 - 6:15 & 7:15 - 7:30 PM Thurs. 9:30 - 11:30 AM & 1:30 - 3:00 PM
SMILING FACES The library is kept open 17 hours a week through the work of nineteen volunteers. At the circulation desk, you may find one of these team members giving service with a smile: Rebecca Farjardo, Fran Fuqua, Susan Galloway, Joseph Hegwood, Deana Kelly, Gene Lanier, Wanda May, Patti Moore, Martha Nolen, Margaret Perkins, Carolyn Pope, Dale Rainey, Sheri Robertson, Judy Sanderson, Margaret Smith, Judy Stokes, Ann Townsend, Agnes Webb, and Brenda Wood. The Church Library ministers to individuals in the church and community, meeting their personal needs and interests by providing wholesome media for all ages in several formats on a variety of subjects for information and wholesome leisure as well as providing resources for deepening faith and spiritual transformation. USER-FRIENDLY COMPUTER A user-friendly computer for patrons is available for personal search and for independent search of the library collection. FREE LIBRARY CARD Library card applications are available to the church members as well as non-church members. MEDIA IN VARIOUS FORMATS Media is available for all age groups, including home school families, in the following formats: Formats
Periodicals
DVD's and CD's of the Sunday worship services are available for check out, usually by the following Wednesday. The DVD includes the music; the CD has only the sermon but it is complete whether or not the TV cuts if off short. These items are at the circulation desk. FOR ADULTS To encourage spiritual growth, reading clubs for adults are planned each year. This year's reading program is Mountaintop Media Club, which began May 23 and continues to Aug. 15. A potluck dinner will provide recognition for those who participate.
FOR CHILDREN CAMP READ-A-LOT Reading Club for Preschoolers-Sixth Graders The Summer reading club, Camp Read-A-Lot, has ended. Thirty-four children signed up. During the last seven weeks, the 13 who reported their reading, read more than 450 books. Many of them also earned stickers for reading from the Bible with their families. On July 18, Camp Read-A-Lot readers and family enjoyed a lunch at the church. Those present received a badge, a certificate and their flashlight. Honor books to be placed in the library were given to eleven readers who finished the trail. Bob Boland made of picture of the children. Camp Read-A-Lot readers need to come by the library to get their certificates and flashlights if they missed the lunch on July 18. We encourage children to read in the summer time because we want them to become good readers. Good readers will be able to read and understand the Bible. The Bible is the foundation of our faith and the key to spiritual development. We are grateful to parents and grandparents for giving children a love for books by reading to them and encouraging them to read.
FOR YOUTH This year Pizza Lingo, a media club for youth, began May 23. Sheri Robertson is taking the lead to encourage youth to use the resources available in the church library. SENIOR ADULTS MEMORIALS When memorials are given to the library, the selected books and other media are noted with a book plate and entered in a Memorial Notebook as well as in the computer so that records can be searched by the name of the donor or honoree. Dale Rainey has worked to streamline the processing of Memorials and bring the Memorial Notebook up to date. TRAINING The Annual State Church Library Ministry for 2010 is at First Baptist Church, Natchez, MS, October 1-2. NEW TEAM MEMBERS Church Library Team members are prayerfully enlisted with their varied gifts in mind. Various types of work are involved in making resources available for check out. Ministry Team Leader Church Phone: 662-328-3915
A Brief History of First Baptist Church Library
The earliest record of a library at First Baptist Church was made in 1882 when 300 volumes were reported to the Columbus Association.
In 1936 the library was a project of the Ann Judson Sunday School class, taught by Mrs. S. B. Platt, Sr., who was chosen the librarian in 1937; fifty volumes were carefully selected. Miss Beulah Culbertson was chairman of the Library Committee.
Mrs. R. E. Lee was librarian in 1942; at that time 325 volumes were on the shelves. The Library Committee was composed of the following: Miss Rhobia Taylor, Mrs. C. N. Brandon, Mrs. S. B. Platt, Sr., Mrs. R. W. Stephenson, and Miss Beulah Culbertson (who continued to give her valuable help in the library during the next 40 years).
Mrs. Zack Pulliam served as librarian in 1943, and Mrs. G. W. Weaver filled the post in the 1944-46 period. In 1945 the library was named The John R. Laws Library when Mr. Laws’ sons, John, Latham, and Edwin, gave $600 toward enlarging the library’s facilities.
From 1946-51 Youth Director Mrs. Mildred Phillips served as librarian; Allen B. Puckett was chairman of the Library Committee, and during this period the library led the state in circulation of books.
During the 1950’s, Youth Directors continued to have the library responsibility, and thus it was possible to have the library open all day through the week as well as Sunday mornings and evenings. Youth Director Mrs. Maude Fancher Sparks was librarian in l952. Other Youth Directors between 1953 and 1958 who were also librarians were Betty Lou Swetman, Jean Bush, and Bettye Peeler.
From 1959-62 Miss Lucy Howard was librarian and chairman of the Library Committee. She completed a card index of the missionary appointments and accomplished much cataloging; the library then contained 4057 volumes, including many of the classics.
In 1964 Mrs. Margaret Perkins became librarian and continues in that position now. The library was moved into its present location in 1971 at the time of major renovations of the office area. The Audio-Visual Committee was merged with the Library Committee in 1981 thus expanding the resources and space of the library.
During 1988 a branch library for children and children’s teachers was opened in the Woodson Building, using a specially designed bookcase on wheels given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Pennington. In 1989 the library hired Allison Pope, the first of several high school girls, to type catalog cards, greatly relieving the volunteer staff. In November of 1990, the library was redecorated and expanded to include a children’s room.
The library was computerized in 1994. In 2001 space from an adjoining room was incorporated into the library and named the Margaret Perkins Room. A new circulation desk was custom built to enhance the area. One computer is reserved for patrons use.
The 2010 Library Ministry Team currently has 19 team members working together to provide for the media needs of the congregation and the community. The collection now contains approximately 15,709 items. To God be the glory! |
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202 7th Street North
Columbus, MS 39701
office@columbusfbc.org