Are church libraries worth saving?

The collection of mostly-donated books had been housed in various spots around the church for years. Finally, it landed in an out-of-the-way Sunday school classroom. When the church librarian left, no one was interested in taking over. So Edmonton’s Inglewood Christian Reformed Church (CRC) made the decision to dismantle its library last summer.

The church still has vibrant book studies and plenty of members who love to read quality Christian literature. This fall a group read Following Jesus in a Warming World by Kyle Meyaard-Schaap and another group read Andy Crouch’s Techwise Family.

“We may not have a traditional library anymore,” explains Pastor Andrew Aukema, “but this might lead us to even more intentional ways of engaging books together.”

Volunteer power

It takes a lot of time to maintain an up-to-date and inviting church library. But according to Aimee Reid, a picture book author and church librarian at Hamilton Mennonite Church, the effort is worth it. Reid adds 30-40 new titles to their collection every year and selects new books every couple of weeks to feature on a cart near the sanctuary entrance.

“I wholeheartedly believe that making good books accessible to congregants is a worthy endeavour,” says Reid. “Libraries need not be static repositories of overlooked material. Let’s not underestimate the transformative power of the right word shared with someone at the right time. We never know what thought might revolutionize a person’s life, extending the impact of your library far beyond its walls.”

Though her church is on the smaller side, with just 60-80 churchgoers each week, the library still gets lots of use. “Just the other day, I was approached by a mother and daughter who mentioned how much they are enjoying a series. I invited them to tell me more about what other books they’d like to see in our library.”

Demographic disconnect

This kind of back-and-forth dialogue between church attendees and librarians isn’t always common. The pastor of one CRC in southern Alberta says they’ve been struggling with a disconnect between the library committee and the needs of the congregation.

“I have seen the use of the library decrease to the point where it is basically not used any longer,” said the pastor reflecting on his past 10 years of ministry. “Our library is antiquated and there is little interest in revamping it. To run a library correctly requires much willingness, work and funds. I don’t think many small churches such as ours can achieve that,” he added.

Fredericton CRC in New Brunswick, a church of similar size, has been facing many of the same challenges. “I believe that the library used to be quite well used, but interest has hugely waned over the years,” writes Council Clerk Renata Trueman. “The library committee has also fallen apart. It’s sad to see the library become sort of abandoned.”

What’s the goal?

Aaron DeVries, Manager of Digital and Support Services at St. Thomas Public Library and member of Fellowship CRC in St. Thomas, Ontario, says that libraries of all sizes need to have a clear goal if they are going to succeed.

“From the earliest days, libraries have never been books for the sake of books. The books are there to provide something. The age-old purpose of public libraries is usually referred to as something along the lines of supporting democracy through an informed citizenry.” In a church context, DeVries says a library’s goal might be to offer uplifting leisure material, encourage faith formation, educate young people or support small group discussions.

“I don’t think church libraries are meant to be archives of used book donations!” DeVries says wryly.

Know your audience

Carling Luymes, church librarian at Community CRC in Kitchener, Ontario, says its collection of Amish romance, historical fiction and true crime is especially popular with older women. It might not appeal to every demographic, but it does serve a very clear goal.

“We see our collection of fiction as a means of reminding our readers that God is with them throughout their day, their source of solace and strength.” Luymes says she was noticing a decrease in readership even before Covid, but the library is still getting plenty of use. Children under seven often borrow picture books and older kids benefit from new and exciting non-fiction options.

Community CRC also has an active book club that engages with controversial material from both Christian authors like Kristen Kobes Du Mez (Jesus and John Wayne) and secular writers like Thomas King (The Inconvenient Indian) and Daniel Nayeri (Everything Sad is Untrue).

From his vantage point in the public library system, DeVries says the decline of print reading is a source of anxiety and frequent discussion. But housing physical books is not the most important function a library serves.

“I would hope that all churches would have an interest in engaging with the ideas that their congregants are, no doubt, finding on their own in podcasts, YouTube videos, social media and yes – even in printed books (and newspapers).” DeVries says that it makes sense for each church to offer resources in a way that lines up with their mission and ministry focus.

Many church libraries are moving to digital content options, especially for small group materials, but DeVries says he hasn’t “seen any online platforms that could really act as a direct replacement to justify closing a library completely.”

Not every church library will be worth fighting for, but if yours is, Aimee Reid has some advice: “I would encourage churches to think creatively about how the library can serve the faith community. Your local public library may be a model of how to encourage patron use. . . Tap into what already excites the people in your church and grow from there.”