About ACL

Beginning

During the summer of 1956, the idea of the Association of Christian Librarians was first conceived when five librarians met on the campus of Nyack Missionary College in Nyack, NY to enjoy fellowship and discuss current challenges that they faced as Christian librarians. These ‘founding Mothers’, Shirley Wood of Columbia Bible College, Dorothy Spidell of Nyack Missionary College, Mary Jane Kergerize and Marian Boyjiam of The King’s College, and Emily Russel of Faith Theological Seminary, could not have imagined what would come from this first meeting. In 1957, the Christian Librarians’ Fellowship, now known as the Association of Christian Librarians was officially established. Through the initial goals of this small group, an annual conference was developed to provide professional development and opportunities to network with other librarians for encouragement and collaboration, The Christian Librarian, a professional journal was started, and the Christian Periodical Index (CPI) was created.

As the organization continued to grow, the leadership began to dream of expanding the purpose of the Association to provide financial assistance and to operate more like a charitable organization. In 2002, the Foundation for the Advancement of Christian Libraries was created to provide a tax benefit for the activities of the Association. The ACL Home office property was purchased in 2005 in Cedarville, OH. Eight years later with the overwhelming support of the membership the Association of Christian Librarians and the Foundation for the Advancement of Christian Libraries transitioned into one 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Foundation for the Advancement of Christian Libraries is the legal name of the organization while The Association of Christian Librarians is the d.b.a that is commonly used.

Over a decade later, with nearly 700 members worldwide, ACL is still supporting librarians, providing grants and financial assistance to Christian Librarians around the globe, and expanding its membership to include Christian librarians serving seminaries, public and private K-12 schools, and public libraries.