Library

About Our Library

The doors of the library of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent opened in November, 2007, using funds from an anonymous donor. The library committee was formed to orchestrate the library’s opening. Some of the initial endowment has been used for administrative supplies and the purchase of books. The remainder of the endowment will be used as needed over time. It is important to make it last as long as possible because there is no plan to replace funds as they are used.

The library can be found in the church building, the entrance being in the north east corner of Founders Lounge, just past the nursery and library display table. The room is a small, shared space, packed with shelves and furniture. At this time, the library is primarily self service, although a Library Committee member will be on duty between services on Sundays to assist you. Please notice the abundant signage placed throughout the library in order to help you check out or return materials, or make suggestions to the Wish List (pdf). The Library Catalog (pdf), a complete and accurate listing of all library materials, can also be found in the library. If assistance is needed for any reason, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Library Committee.

Current Goals of the Church Library

Our goal is to acquire books and A/V materials in the categories below that will broaden the religious experience of the congregation. We are currently working on developing our collection on world religion in addition to buying other books of interest to the congregation. We will continue to expand the number of items in each subject heading as usage demands.

Categories

The books and other materials have been classified in the following categories.

  • Biography
  • BGLT (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender)
  • Buddhism
  • Celebrations and Passages
  • Christianity
  • Church Leadership
  • Family Life
  • Humanism
  • Inspiration
  • Meditation
  • Men’s Studies
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies
  • Social Justice
  • Spirituality
  • Theology
  • Unitarian Universalism
  • Women’s Studies
  • World Religions

Should the library grow considerably, changes in this system might be in order.

Donations

Keep in mind that our library space is small and our funds are limited, so donations of books or money are encouraged to add material to the collection. It is our hope that individuals or committees will determine from time to time that it would be a good thing to donate new or gently used items to the library. We are currently seeking items from our Wish List (pdf). Though we also accept donations of items not appearing on the Wish List (pdf), the committee will evaluate these items for appropriate placement in a category. Items not fitting a subject heading will either be returned to the donor or donated to the church book sale. For this reason, we ask that you include a note with your name and contact information with your donation and indicate if you wish the book returned should it not fit the subject headings. Donors have the option of having a permanent bookplate placed inside the book’s cover to commemorate their generosity, or as a dedication, or to memorialize a loved one in whose name the donation was made. If you desire a commemorative bookplate, please indicate this in your note. Any items we receive that relate to Religious Education or to Archives are directed to those departments, not kept in our library. The donor is responsible for determining the value of the donation for tax purposes. Donated items should be placed on the lower shelf of the glass-topped table in the library.

Cash or check donations should be made to the UU Church of Kent with Library Fund specified in an attached note or in the memo line of the check. These donations may be placed in the collection plate or sent to the church care of the Financial Secretary and will be acknowledged in the quarterly statements from the church. All donations, material or monetary, will be acknowledged by the library committee.

Wish List

The library Wish List (pdf) contains titles considered appropriate for inclusion into the existing subject categories of the library. This list, compiled by the library committee, is based on present needs and includes publisher information and prices. If you want to suggest a title for the library to purchase, you may add the information to the copy of the Wish List (pdf) in the library. Please remember that unless the item is heavily circulated, we only keep one copy of a title in the library due to space limitations.

Circulation

To better maintain the physical inventory of library materials and ensure that those materials are made available equally to all members of the congregation in an equitable fashion, your library committee has developed the following circulation policy. Many items the library has to offer are unique, out of print, or otherwise unavailable for replacement, so please take extra care with these items.

  • Any item(s) in the library may be checked out from the premises only after following the procedure made available on the glass-topped table in the library. Removal of items from the library without following the check-out procedure is discouraged because it affects the integrity of our circulation accounting services and often results in items having to be removed from the Library Catalog (pdf), thereby reducing the number and variety of materials to be made available to the congregation.
  • A limit of four items may be checked out by an individual at one time for a two week time period. Items may be renewed for one additional two week period by two methods:
    1. Bring the item to be renewed to the library committee member on duty in the Library during the social hour between services on any Sunday.
    2. Contact a library committee member by phone.
  • If you require the material for an additional period of time, contact a library committee member. Exceptions will be made at the discretion of the committee member.
  • Items may be returned to the library RETURNS box when the church building is open or to MaryBeth Hannan, congregational administrator, in the Annex during normal weekday office hours.
  • A library committee member will contact individuals with overdue items. An opportunity will be presented to renew eligible items. Items which cannot be renewed must be returned to circulation for one week before being checked-out by the same individual. This preserves the integrity of our circulation accounting services.
  • At this time, no overdue fees will be charged by the library committee.
  • We request that items which are lost after being checked-out, be reported by the individual responsible for checking the item out. At this time, the library committee has decided not to pursue a strict repayment policy for lost items. However, since the library depends on monetary and material donations from the congregation to support its efforts to expand the materials available, individuals who have lost items are encouraged to: Replace the item, purchase a new item from our Wish List (pdf), or offer monetary compensation for the lost item.

Any questions concerning the circulation policy may be directed to any member of the library committee. We will be happy to assist you in any of your library needs.

Current Committee Members:

  • Martha Kluth, Chair
  • Kathy Wilen
  • Matt Cox
  • Olive Hobbs
  • Ann Waters, Publicity
  • Andrew Bores, Database Maintenance

Online Resources:

Library Catalog (pdf)

Library Wish List (pdf)