Atla Annual 2025

This presentation explores the parallels between S.R. Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science and the core missions of the Church. Ranganathan's laws, established in 1931, are foundational principles in library science:

1) Books are for use.
2) Every person his or her book.
3) Every book its reader.
4) Save the time of the reader.
5) A library is a growing organism.
The presentation draws analogies between these laws and the Church's objectives:

Service: Just as libraries ensure books are accessible and usable, the Church aims to serve its community by making spiritual resources and services readily available.
Inclusivity: Ranganathan's emphasis on matching every person with their book mirrors the Church's mission to reach out to every individual, addressing diverse spiritual needs without prejudice.
Engagement: The idea that every book has its reader parallels the Church's endeavor to engage each person, recognizing that different individuals connect with different aspects of faith.
Efficiency: Saving the reader's time in a library context is akin to the Church's efforts to make spiritual guidance and services efficient and accessible, minimizing barriers for congregants.
Growth: Viewing the library as a growing organism reflects the Church's vision of growth, both in expanding its congregation and in deepening the spiritual development of its members.

Learning Outcome

Attendees will learn to apply Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science to enhance church services:
1) Innovative Service Strategies: Using "Books are for use" to improve access to spiritual resources.
2) Personalized Engagement: Applying "Every person his or her book" to tailor outreach for diverse spiritual needs.
3) Effective Resource Allocation: Utilizing "Every book its reader" to align resources with congregants' interests.
4) Operational Efficiency: Implementing "Save the time of the reader" to streamline church operations.
5) Sustainable Growth Planning: Adopting "A library is a growing organism" to view the church as a dynamic entity.

Audience Engagement

1) Interactive Discussions: I will encourage audience participation through open dialogues and Q&A sessions to foster a collaborative learning environment.
2) Real-World Case Studies: Drawing from my experiences as a librarian and church leader, I will present practical examples that illustrate the application of Ranganathan's laws in church settings, making the content relatable and actionable.
3) Visual Aids: I will utilize clear and concise slides with reader-friendly fonts and appropriate backgrounds to enhance understanding and retention.
4) Audience Polls: I will incorporate live polls to gauge opinions and encourage active engagement, ensuring the session remains dynamic and interactive.

As a subject specialist librarian working at large research university, I often find when I’m attending an ABTAPL (Association of Theological and Philosophical Librarians in the UK & Ireland) event that I am the only one in the room with this kind of role. I wanted to find out why. Are other university librarians not present in ABTAPL because their job roles make it no longer relevant for them? Are university librarians not present in ABTAPL because they are not aware of ABTAPL as an organisation? Or are other factors to blame? And what can the recent Atla Global Survey 2024 tell us about UK university librarians? To explore this, my investigation has included a literature review, data analysis and a small scale survey of UK University librarians.

As the field of theological and religious studies librarianship changes and grows, so do the associations that serve us. Join representatives from Atla, Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries, Australia and New Zealand Theological Library Association, Bibliothèques Europeennes de Theologie, and Forum for Asian Theological Librarians for an engaging conversation that looks into their respective associations, the challenges facing the members they serve, and the potential opportunities for collaboration to benefit theology and religious studies librarians across the globe.

Learning Outcomes

Attendees will gain a greater understanding of the inner workings of several associations for theological and religious studies globally. They will learn of the challenges facing librarians and gain an understanding of how this changes depending on locale. Finally, they will learn of the potential for collaboration, strengthening all associations to provide better services for members.


Audience Engagement

There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists at the end of the discussion

After the success of the first session of this type held in 2024, the Board again invites members to join them in this session to hear more about the work they do and how the Board operates. The panel of Board officers will give insight as to what is expected of those who serve on the Board and provide additional information for those interested in serving. Come prepared to ask the panelists your questions about Board work and the role and function the Board plays in the association.

Theological education is rapidly changing, and our institutions are trying to respond to keep up. Library staff can either hunker down or become adaptive. This session will look at adaptive leadership. The presenter will also talk about identifying and developing skills within the library staff to help them to innovate and lead change instead of what some call "sabotaging change." We will also look at when resilience becomes a roadblock to change. There will be some time spent in discussion.

Learning Outcome

1. Participants will gain tips for mentoring their library staff.
2. Participants will learn to determine what changes are appropriate and how to begin to experiment.
3. Participants will brainstorm ways to keep them from becoming saboteurs of change.

Audience Engagement

There will be a discussion time when the participants will share and brainstorm ideas.