5 Good Reasons to Still Have a Church Library

Several congregations has stopped having a library in the church. Others stopped adding books to the library some time ago, and the room is used mainly for other purposes. Some argue that, in our technological age, the same materials can be found online as can be found in a church library. Others just use the excuse, “No one uses it, so it’s not worth the effort or money.”

While the “look” of a church library might be changing, there are still many good reasons to have one. Here are 5.

Having a good church library…

1. Is an investment in the Bible school. Many of your most dedicated teachers simply cannot afford a large library of materials, but they would be glad to have some solid materials available for free. Those who select volumes for the library should have some concept of what is being taught in the classes, so books and other materials on those texts and topics can be added.

2. Is an investment in sound preaching. I have a growing library, but there are still a lot of volumes I cannot afford. However, our library has many commentaries (both individual volumes and sets) on both the Old and New Testaments. After I have looked through the volumes in my library, I often go and sit in our church library to study further. I still wish to add some of these books to my personal library, but having them nearby is a great help.

3. Provides access to books that are out-of-print. Many “classic” works (especially by brothers in Christ) are out-of-print. Oftentimes, older members will donate such books to a well-used church library. This is an invaluable resource, as it keeps these volumes in use, and puts them in a safe environment.

4. Can help those who are poor. Many well-meaning members would love to study God’s Word more deeply, but they cannot afford three or four commentaries on one book of the Bible. A well-thought-out church library helps them to always have many resources available without feeling embarrassed about not being able to purchase them at a bookstore.

5. Incorporates the old and the new. How about all those Bible software programs that contain dozens, or even hundreds, of books for a decent price? Why not incorporate those into the church library for those who use it! It might cost more initially (a computer, nice printer, and the software), but, over time, purchasing these software packages will save money over adding hundreds of bound volumes. Also, with the ability to print out the materials, those who use the library can have a large amount of notes to take home at very little expense.

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Probably the main reason many members don’t utilize the library is because it simply is not “promoted.” We’ll look at that next Wednesday.

For now, what are some reasons you have for or against a church library?