Meetinghouse Libraries

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Marlow, Beth M.

Meetinghouse libraries in the wards and branches of the Church are provided to assist Latter-day Saints in both learning and teaching the gospel, whether in Church meetings or at home. Instructional materials are indexed to correlate with the Churchwide curriculum and are designed to enrich lives, helping people develop spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually.

An integral part of each meetinghouse, the library ideally contains selected books, pictures, flannel board stories and flannel boards, audiocassettes and players, videocassettes and players, a photocopier, a typewriter, screens, and projectors for the available videocassette tapes, filmstrips, and slides. Additional teaching resources include supplies such as easels, maps, charts, indexes, paper, and chalk. Ward members are allowed access to virtually all library materials for both teaching and home use.

Printed materials in the library typically consist of the standard works, doctrinal works by Church authorities, copies of the current hymnal and children's songbook, current and back issues of Church magazines, copies of current and past lesson manuals for all courses of study, general conference reports, and guide books for self-instruction in genealogical or family history work.

Learning and teaching aids are available for the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Church history, Church leaders, family life, and other resources used in the Church organizations. Many of these materials are prepared under the Church's correlation guidelines.

The librarian and one or more assistants, who are called to the work by the ward bishop, instruct members about available items and how to use them. The librarian is normally trained by both the previous librarian and the stake or regional librarian. The librarian orders needed supplies normally from a Church distribution center, planning the order in coordination with ward organization leaders, and subject to an established budget.

Teachers in Church organizations use the library most heavily on worship days. During the week, ward members may draw on library resources for family activities, family home evenings, firesides, and other occasions. BETH M. MARLOW

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