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St. George Cathedral Library Blog

Check out our blog for updates about additions to our collection, special announcements, book recommendations, research updates, and much more!

Library Updates

08/31/2014

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I just wanted to update everyone on a few things that have been happening with the library lately. We've grown tremendously since our new shelves have been installed. People are starting to browse the shelves after Liturgy, and, glory to God, our children frequently pull the illustrated Bible off of the shelf.

You may have noticed our beautiful new leather chairs, table, and lamp. More information will be coming about that! It certainly deserves it's own blog entry!

Chip and Amy Hogg have generously donated an old desktop computer for use as our new computer circulation system. I have installed the necessary software, and with a little bit of help, it should be up and running in no time. Then, we'll have a wonderful computer circulation system that will really make circulation management a breeze. Thank you Chip and Amy!

As mentioned above, many of our children have taken notice of the library, and are making use of it. One of our goals in collection development is to really beef up our children's collection with quality Orthodox Christian children's books. These will cover a range of ages, reading abilities, and subjects. It is our goal to enable and encourage parents to be check out books for their children, because as was once said, "He who has good memories from his youth is saved for his whole life." I know for myself some of my earliest and most precious memories are being read Old Testament stories from the same version of the illustrated Bible we have on display. With so many worldly influences and concerns conditioning and influencing our children, being read Orthodox books at the earliest times in their life can help make God a "default" in their lives. Many worldly people object vehemently to this practice- let the children decide for themselves they say!- but we know better. If we don't encourage our children in the love of Christ when they're young, how will they have positive knowledge and feelings of Him when they are adults? If we don't show our children the love of God, they will lack it, which is the very definition of evil. So you see, those people who object to teaching our children do not speak as Christians.

At least, this is what I have experienced in my own childhood and adolescence. When I was young, I was taught about God, and assumed everyone attended Mass on Sunday (I took it for granted). But the older I got, the more I was shocked to see that it wasn't true. The older and more experienced I became, the more I saw of the world, and I saw people knew little of God, knew misinformation about God, fled from God, or opposed God. Some of those people were taught about God in their childhoods and resented it. But that is not the experience of the Saints of the Church. May we raise our children to be Saints of God!

Finally, last week we had almost 50 unique visitors to the Library website in a single day! A new record!

It is wonderful to see the wonderful support our community gives to the library as a tool for spiritual education, edification, and ministry. Glory to Jesus Christ!

 


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    Author

    Subdeacon Michael Janakis received his MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013. He is also a 2012 graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, MD, where he studied the Great Books of Western civilization.

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    *All blog entries are vetted and approved by Fr. Demetrios Makoul, Cathedral Dean. Every effort will be made to make sure that the blog is a faithful vehicle of the teachings of the Orthodox Church, and corrections will be made as needed. Please forgive my errors, transgressions, and sinful failings.

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