Atla Annual 2025

This listen and learn session approaches LibGuides within the history of research aids and seeks to understand the relationships between intellectual freedom, institutional identity, bibliography, and access. We begin by situating LibGuides within the broader tradition of readers’ aids, specifically the role of printed bibliographies and digital pathfinders to understand why LibGuides have become so common throughout librarianship. We also explore how their form reinforces function in terms of scholarly authority and information guide.
We then examine the conflict between institutional identity, as developed by standardized web content, the librarian’s own intellectual freedom, and patron access. In short, we seek to understand what assumptions librarians and patrons have about LibGuides and if those assumptions impact guide content, not just guide design. We take this question to be especially important for theology librarians who may be working within contexts that require doctrinal or confessional agreements between faculty, staff, and students. We seek to understand how the theology librarian maintains intellectual freed and access to information (oft expressed core values of librarianship) amidst the strictures that often accompany church politics.
Finally we close the session by identifying a series of practices that librarians can deploy and encourage others to share their own experiences and practices. Two main points, LibGuide creation should be approached with the same meticulous approach as would be granted to bibliographies and special attention should be directed toward the container collapse between institution and resource.

Learning Outcome

Audiences will be encouraged to think about the history and form of LibGuides, not just their content. We will end the session by suggesting best practices to create LibGuides in a theological setting.

Audience Engagement

During the session we will have multiple opportunities for group conversation and to hear how others have addressed the questions of intellectual freedom, institutional identity, and guiding users to information.

This panel will explore the transformative impact of leadership development in theological librarianship, highlighting the variety of approaches individuals can bring to leadership. Through a narrative-driven style, the session aims to inspire attendees to recognize their potential as leaders and pursue opportunities to cultivate their distinct skills.

The Leadership Development for Theological Librarians Program, launched in 2023, will celebrate the graduation of its second cohort in May 2025. Funded by a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion and co-led by Kelly Campbell from Columbia Theological Seminary and Myka Kennedy Stephens from Fosgail, the program provides mentoring and executive coaching for theological librarians from varying backgrounds, roles, and institutions.

Panelists will share the origin story of the program, discuss their unique leadership journeys, and reflect on how the program has shaped their professional growth. Following the presentation, an open discussion will invite audience members to examine the importance of leadership development in theological librarianship, explore challenges in this area, and engage in a dynamic Q&A session.

Learning Outcome

In this session, audience members will:
Discover how Atla members are leading the way to fill a leadership development gap in theological librarianship
Learn about the impact of intentional leadership development in theological librarianship
Hear stories of leadership from a variety of contexts
Discuss leadership development needs and opportunities in Atla

Audience Engagement

As mentioned in the description, in an open discussion we will invite audience members to examine the importance of leadership development in theological librarianship, explore challenges in this area, and engage in a dynamic Q&A session.

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

Would you like to improve your writing skills or find the time to write something for publication? Would you like to improve your confidence as a writer? Would you like to receive encouragement and learn key principles and practices to become a better writer? If you answer yes to these questions, then this workshop on writing is for you. In this interactive workshop, you will learn twelve practices and principles for becoming a successful writer. This workshop is based on a recent book I have found useful for becoming a successful writer: Christian Academic Writing: Twelve Practices and Principles for Becoming a Successful Writer by Benjamin L. Merkle and Adrianne Cheek Miles. This workshop is for both beginning and seasoned writers. Some of the key ideas covered in this workshop are: redeeming time for writing, writing myths, making writing a habit, writing for publication, beginning the journey to becoming a successful writer.

Learning Outcome

Attendees will learn principles and practices on becoming a successful writer that they can put in practice immediately.

Audience Engagement

I will summarize key ideas and invite audience participation through questions.

In 2021, the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary received a Lilly Grant to enhance the training of urban pastors. One objective was to create an open access special bibliography showcasing the scholarship of Ethnic/Minority authors in theology to support pastoral pedagogy. The Andrews Bibliography of Ethnic/Minority Scholarship in Theology (ABEST) uses a dedicated Koha library catalog platform to list academic publications by BIPOC authors who were faculty at ATS institutions (2022-23 academic year). The database links each record to library resources, databases, publisher, and/or WorldCat. Each entry is tagged to a broad curriculum taxonomy and simple subject terms.

In 2023, I received a faculty research grant from the Andrews University Office of Scholarly Research to develop a bibliography showcasing and archiving publications pertaining to the archaeological work sponsored by Andrews University at Hisban, Jordan. This year, we are developing a new Koha bibliography that will include not only entries for these publications, but also photographs, field notes, and other cultural objects from over fifty years of excavations. Entries for publications link to library resources, databases, publisher, and/or WorldCat. Non-print media link to the institutional repository.

The presentation will demonstrate the databases, discuss the reasons for choosing Koha, and share lessons learned on uploading content into the databases.

Learning Outcome

An innovative use of an open-source library catalog for showcasing specialist bibliographies that can be a work in progress indefinitely.

Audience Engagement

Live demo of databases, with time for questions and discussion.