- Categories:
- Religious
- Tags:
- BooksCatholicChristian
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every October
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- 📚
Church Library Month dedicates every October to celebrating the invaluable contributions of church libraries and their dedicated volunteers. These sacred spaces foster spiritual growth, learning, and community connection through diverse resources. Explore ways to support your local church library and delve into its rich collections.
Want to sponsor Church Library Month? Learn how
History of Church Library Month
In Christianity, a center of learning, reading, and preserving sacred texts has always had its importance. It is said that Bishop Alexander of Jerusalem had established a library during the first half of the 3rd century.
The Renaissance Period saw a rise in interest in religious and ancient texts among people. With the advancement in printing presses, the volume of books being published skyrocketed. The Vatican Library was refurbished.
By the end of the 18th century, many seminary libraries like New Brunswick, Service Seminary in P.A., and St. Mary’s-Baltimore were formed. In 1930, Yale indicated that theological libraries had a collection of volumes ranging from a few hundred to 200,000. The early 1900s saw a rapid decline in Catholic seminaries and the number of candidates for the priesthood, but in the second half of the century, the number of theological colleges and libraries rose again.
In 1947, the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) was formed. ATLA has since then governed the theological activities in the U.S. and Canada and also contributed to the development of Religious Indexes. Recently, ATLA has been working on putting theological periodicals into electronic format.
In 1970, the Evangelical Church Library Association was formed with a motto to promote church libraries to encourage Christian growth and to offer assistance to librarians. It was the Evangelical Church Library Association that observed October as Church Library Month for the first time. Since then, many church library associations have come together to celebrate Church Library Month and provide resources and spiritual guidance to millions.
Church Library Month timeline
Bishop Alexander establishes a church library during his tenure.
Many monastic libraries emerge in Britain and other parts of Europe.
The American Theological Library Association is founded.
The Evangelical Church Library Association is formed and October is declared as Church Library Month.
Church Library Month FAQs
When is Church Library Month?
Church Library Month runs throughout October 2026, dedicating the entire month to celebrating the vital role of these community resources. It’s a perfect time to explore new titles and engage with your church’s literary offerings.
How many church libraries are there in the U.S.?
While exact, up-to-date figures are hard to pinpoint, estimates suggest there are tens of thousands of church libraries across the United States, ranging from small collections to extensive theological archives. These libraries serve millions of congregants and community members.
What is the purpose of a church library?
A church library serves as a central hub for spiritual growth, education, and community engagement, providing resources like Bibles, theological texts, devotionals, and children’s books. It supports congregants in their faith journey and offers materials for study and reflection.
How can I support my church library?
You can support your church library in numerous ways, including donating gently used books, volunteering your time to help with organization or events, or making financial contributions for new acquisitions. Spreading awareness about its resources is also incredibly valuable.
How to Observe Church Library Month
Form a church library
If you do not have a library in your church, make one! Church libraries are of vital importance. They provide a way for people, especially ones who are not financially well off, to make use of the resources available and expand their knowledge or simply enjoy reading.
Dust-off and donate
We all have piles of books in the attic that have not been touched for ages. Donating books, digital encyclopedias, and other study materials would be a great way to contribute to Church Library Month.
Spread the word
Get creative. Make brochures, fliers, and ads to make people understand the importance of church libraries and Church Library Month. You can also organize contests and games to further spark interest in people, especially children.
5 Facts About Church Libraries That Will Blow Your Mind
Library of Alexandria is a memorial
The new library of Alexandria is a tribute to its predecessor, which was tragically destroyed in a fire 2,000 years ago
Vatican Library was established in 1475
The Vatican library is as old as the Catholic Church but it was formally established in 1475.
The Abbey is a World Heritage Site
In 1983, UNESCO declared The Abbey Library of Saint Gall as a World Heritage Site
The Benedictine Library is the largest
With over 70,000 volumes, including 1,400 manuscripts and 900 incunables, the Benedictine Library is the largest monastic library in the world
Gutenberg Bible is in Washington D.C.
One of the four copies of the Gutenberg Bible lies in The Library of Congress, in Washington D.C.
Why Church Library Month is Important
Resources are for everyone
Not everyone can afford the luxury of expensive library memberships. Whether it's biographies or citations for your school project or DVDs, CDs, non-fictional books, or self-help books, church libraries provide an ocean of resources and materials without being too heavy on your budget.
It is the way of Christ
Church Library Month is an opportunity to re-instill in the minds of people the essence of faith and to simply be a better Christian. It also provides an opportunity to provide spiritual assistance to those who might need it.
It is important for theologists
Church Library Month provides an opportunity to upgrade and further develop church libraries, which is important as theologists and even other congregants rely on church libraries for their religious studies.
