Synopses & Reviews
Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-220) and index.
Synopsis
Much of the current library literature assumes that professional library service is necessarily neutral-detached from the librarian's philosophical or religious views. By contrast, contributors to this collection assert that librarianship is best practiced as an outworking of spiritual conviction. Accordingly, they discuss principles for integrating Christian faith and librarianship within various contexts, and reflect on professional issues from biblical and theological perspectives. This text will prove beneficial to Christians working in all types of libraries, whether religious or secular. This compilation of 16 essays is divided into two main parts, the first on theory and the second on practice. The first part includes chapters such as A Rationale for Integrating Christian Faith and Librarianship, The Master We Serve: The Call of the Christian Librarian to the Secular Workplace; and The Impact of the Christian Faith on Library Service. Chapters in the second part include Library Encounters Culture, A Christian Approach to Intellectual Freedom in Libraries and Keeping Sunday Special in the Contemporary Workplace Culture. Contributors include William Fraher Abernathy, Rod Badams, Donald G. Davis, Jr., John Allen Delivuk, Kenneth D. Gill, Graham Hedges, D. Elizabeth Irish, James R. Johnson, Roger W. Phillips, Gregory A. Smith, Stanford Terhune, John B. Trotti, John Mark Tucker and Geoff Warren.
Synopsis
Many Christian librarians find it challenging to integrate their religion and their profession. This text helps in this integration. It provides a foundation for further discussion of library issues from a Christian perspective and provides insight into Christian librarians. Both Christian-sponsored institutions and individual librarians of a Christian denomination will benefit. This compilation of 16 essays is divided into two main parts, the first on theory and the second on practice. The first part includes chapters such as A Rationale for Integrating Christian Faith and Librarianship, The Impact of the Christian Faith on Library Service and A Philosophy of Christian Librarianship. Chapters in the second part include Library Encounters Culture, Keeping Sunday Special in the Contemporary Workplace Culture and The Role of the Library in the Character Formation of the Christian College Student. Contributors include William Fraher Abernathy, Rod Badams, Donald G. Davis, John Allen Delivuk, Kenneth D. Gill, Graham Hedges, D. Elizabeth Irish, James R. Johnson, Roger W. Phillips, Gregory A. Smith, Stanford Terhune, John B. Trotti, John Mark Tucker and Geoff Warren.
Table of Contents
A rational for integrating Christian faith and librarianship / Gregory A. Smith -- The cultural mandate, the pursuit of knowledge, and the Christian librarian / Gregory A. Smith -- The Master we serve : the call of the Christian librarian to the secular workplace / Donald G. Davis, Jr. and John Mark Tucker -- The theological library : in touch with the witnesses / John B. Trotti -- The impact of the Christian faith on library service / Stanford Terhune -- A philosophy of Christian librarianship / Gregory A. Smith -- Library encounters culture / Roger W. Phillips -- Multiculturalism and libraries : a biblical perspective / John Allen Delivuk -- Beauty for ashes : Christian librarians facing a fragmented profession / Geoff Warren -- And ne'er the Twain shall meet? personal vs. professional ethics / D. Elizabeth Irish -- Intellectual freedom and evangelical faith / Donald G. Davis, Jr. -- A Christian approach to intellectual freedom in libraries / James R. Johnson -- Nothing new under the sun? public libraries and Sunday opening in the nineteenth century / Graham Hedges -- Keeping Sunday special in the contemporary workplace culture / Rod Badams -- The role of the library in the character formation of the Christian college student / Gregory A. Smith -- Partnership in library development : the mission focus of Christian librarians / William Fraher Abernathy and Kenneth D. Gill -- Afterword : the future of Christian librarianship / Gregory A. Smith.