ASSISTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 21ST CENTURY LIBRARY/INFORMATION CENTERS IN CRWM'S INTERNATIONAL PARTNER SEMINARIES AND BIBLE COLLEGES.

What Is This Ministry and How Did It Begin?

In 2003, during a visit to Asia, Christian Reformed World Missions Director Gary Bekker and then Asia Regional Director Albert Hamstra realized that many of World Mission’s Bible School/Seminary partner libraries were under-resourced and under-utilized. Some of the challenges that these libraries faced then and still face today include the need for:
·Well-trained and sufficiently recognized librarians.
·Better integration of the library into their institution’s instructional program.
·Adequate policies and procedures to enable librarians to work more effectively.
·Connections for funding, training and ongoing learning resources.
·A new vision for the library as an information center that includes electronic information resources.
·A more accessible and standardized library through the computerization of their collection.

After meeting with people from institutions and organizations related to library development, World Missions in coordination with the Reformed Church in America’s mission agency decided to initiate a project that would address these concerns. The project officially began in July 2007. Ray and Barbara Bouma serve as the Strengthening Christian Libraries Internationally (SCLI) Project Coordinators. They perform initial consultations, make the assessments needed, and coordinate networking and mentoring efforts.

When libraries request SCLI assistance, SCLI provides the necessary guidance and expertise to help them deal with these challenges. In this “Information Age” the services provided by 21st century libraries need to be much more reliant on electronic resources. There is Internet access in almost every area of the world, which is a key factor in equalizing the educational opportunities of our global partner seminaries and Bible schools.

A long-range goal for SCLI is to help develop a global network of Christian librarians who give each other encouragement and help each other learn and grow. One aspect of this is to develop a pool of North American volunteer librarians to assist and mentor librarians in the international mission libraries affiliated with World Missions and the RCA. Another part is to develop mentoring relationships among the librarians of these institutions so that they can help one another when needed.

What Are We Currently Doing?
·Assessing the needs of partner libraries that have requested assistance.
·Making recommendations for future development of librarians and institutions.
·Providing consultation services or other in-depth assistance.
·Developing a network of volunteer librarians who are willing to serve short-term to help a library in specific development needs.

Since the beginning of this project, SCLI staff has either consulted with, made recommendations to, or begun development projects in:

·The Reformed Ministry Center, Dominican Republic - will send volunteer librarian in early 2010.
·Reformed Institute for Theological Training, Kenya - project on hold
·All Nations Seminary, Mexico - volunteers in place on a yearly basis
·Russian American Christian University, Russia - volunteer end of 2010
·College of Christian Theology, Bangladesh - no need at this time
·The CRWRC Resource Library in Bangladesh - library in progress

·CRWM’s Nigerian Partner Church Institutions:
o The Reformed Theological Seminary—Mkar
o Veenstra Theological Seminary—Donga
o Veenstra Theological Seminary--Lupwe
o University of Mkar—Mkar
o Reformed Bible College—Harga
o The Theological College of Northern Nigeria—Bukuru

Future plans include continuing to work developing and following up with the institutions with which we work.

How Can You Help?

·Pray for World Missions’ partners in higher education, especially their libraries and librarians.
·Learn more about SCLI at: http://www.crcna.org/pages/libraries.cfm or volunteerlibrarians.ning.com
· Funding is a big challenge--right now we have no specific funding sources. About $25,000 is needed annually.
·Volunteers are needed. Both Christian professional librarians and library tech volunteers are needed to serve as short-term consultants (two to six weeks) in an international setting. We especially encourage those in the Christian Reformed Church or Reformed Church of America.

Contact Kathryn Shane, Jay Harsevoort—RCA or Ray Bouma. (See contact info in left column.)

SCLI MISSION AND VISION
Strengthening Christian Libraries Internationally

A joint project of the Christian Reformed Church of North America and RCA.

Mission: To advance the educational endeavor of our international partner institutions by providing resources to their theological library /information centers.

Vision: Our partner educational institutions receive the assistance and support of a network of Christian professional librarians and services so that their libraries are accessible, organized and an information based component of their educational program.

Major Program Areas where assistance is needed:
Institutional and staff development:
Areas of potential assistance include:
1. Making an assessment of the institution’s library.
2. Providing basic information regarding how to develop a viable library/information resource center using up-to-date library technology and information systems.
3. Helping the administration and faculty to understand that a well organized library of sufficient size, breadth and composition is an essential component of the institution’s instructional program.
4. Providing suggestions to the faculty regarding how to incorporate the use of the library in their instruction.
5. Developing an understanding of the increasing role of information technology in libraries.
6. Providing appropriate criteria and procedures for library personnel selection, training, continuing education and evaluation.
7. Providing assistance in the hiring of librarians and/or library support staff.
8. Teaching the librarian, who oftentimes has minimal library knowledge, the basic library skills and knowledge necessary to provide adequate service.
9. Teaching students library research skills.
10. Making arrangements for in-depth, on-site training by a professional librarian.

Collection Development:
Areas of potential assistance include:
1. Developing a book collection that is of sufficient quantity and quality to support the curriculum as well as the interests of the students, staff and accreditation agency.
2. Developing selection policy guidelines.
3. Suggesting reference materials that are generally understandable to students and staff who speak English as a second language.
4. Implementing a computerized cataloging/circulation system for the library holdings.
5. Establishing a non-book collection, including CD-ROMs, DVDs, video cassettes, audio cassettes, etc.
6. Making arrangements for in-depth, on-site training by a professional librarian.

Information Resources Development:
Most mission educational institutions are located in areas where the Internet is available. In many situations, the potential value of the Internet as an information resource is not fully understood by the institution. Computers are available in most institutions, but oftentimes are donated older models.

Areas of potential assistance include:
1. Acquainting the staff and students with the educational resources available on CD-ROMs.
2. Obtaining Internet access (if available) and incorporating it into the library/Information Resource Center.
3. Demonstrating the educational value of the Internet to the administration and faculty.
4. Acquainting faculty and students with the free public domain books and periodicals available on the Internet.
5. Helping faculty and students become more discerning in the use of the Internet in regard to the value and credibility of the information.
6. Teaching computer skills—especially word-processing.
7. Arranging for the necessary expertise needed to develop Internet based distance education. (Yes, many of the institutions of higher learning in the developing world are interested in this!)
8. Making arrangements for in-depth, on-site training by a professional librarian.

Strengthening Christian Libraries Internationally
Prospective Volunteer Inquiries

Overview and circumstances of the SCLI libraries:
The goal of SCLI is to improve the theological libraries of CRC and RCA partner churches in developing countries. Its primary focus is to assist mission seminaries and Bible colleges develop viable 21st century library/information centers that become an integral component of their institution’s educational endeavor. In many instances this requires a major reversal of the institution’s attitude and understanding of the purpose and use of their library. Many of them only think of their library as a storeroom of books. Most of the books are dated, in very poor condition and often of little value. The “librarian” is usually a clerk with no library training who merely maintains the library and keeps order. Because of that, the library has little status in, and adds little value to, the institution.

Although the needs of the libraries vary considerably, they all need substantial assistance. Their meager collections are more often than not poorly organized, making it very difficult for users to locate needed resources. Some libraries have no classification system at all. Good donated theological books are desperately needed. Most of the seminaries and Bible colleges are very poor and do not have any funds available for the library.

In many instances the faculty members seldom, if ever, make use of the library. Even if library resources are available, the integration of classroom instruction with library resources rarely occurs. Some of the institutions recognize that they need help to raise the status and value of their library. Oftentimes, this is driven by their need or desire to receive accreditation. However, the institution’s administration frequently has no knowledge, vision, funding, or a plan needed to proceed. In order to meet accreditation standards, library/information centers must be developed at a level that approximates the level of service in other academic libraries, including the use of electronic information resources whenever possible. Most of these seminaries and Bible Colleges need the leadership of an experienced librarian to lead the institution and its library in a new direction--to the next level.

The assistance required varies considerably. To one extent or another, they all have the following needs in common, and are the areas that SCLI is focusing on:

Computerized cataloging and circulation
Electronic information library resources
Collection development
Training library assistants
Understanding the value and use of library
Library vision, policies and procedures
Donations of good theological materials

Depending on the situation, volunteer stints can be as short as two weeks to several months or longer. Ray and Barbara Bouma, SCLI project directors, will provide more information, make arrangements, and give help and guidance when necessary.

In short, it is a major undertaking to help bring these libraries into the 21st century. It requires a lot of patience, ingenuity, organizing, training, leadership skills and cultural sensitivity. The personal satisfaction of volunteering, and the gratitude of the institutions that benefit from it are priceless.