“For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” Proverbs 8:11 (ESV)
The 2025 ACL conference theme, “Libraries: Gems of the Community,” revived my longtime interest in rocks and minerals. I was eager to travel to Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa to attend my first in-person conference in six years and also to see what actual Idaho gems I could add to my rock collection. Idaho is called “The Gem State” due to its impressive array of minerals and gems. Some of Idaho’s minerals and semi-precious stones are aquamarine, garnets, opals, topaz, zircon, tourmaline, agates, jasper, and petrified wood. Idaho’s official gemstone is the Star Garnet, one of the world’s rarest gems, found only in Idaho and India. Star Garnets in the rough look like ordinary brownish-red or reddish-black rocks, but when polished, shaped, and rounded, they display four- or six-ray stars. Etsy recently offered a Star Garnet for $2250! Most Star Garnets, either in the rough or polished, command much lower prices. The U.S. Forest Service developed the Emerald Creek Garnet Area in Clarkia, Idaho, for safe and legal garnet hunting. Did I go rock hunting in Idaho? Well, I ventured into the gift shop at the Idaho State Museum in Boise and bought garnet earrings.
Novice gem hunters should go with an experienced guide, especially in unfamiliar or rough areas. They need the right clothing, shoes, equipment, and identification manuals. They must avoid trespassing and damaging the environment. Collectors may find ordinary-looking stones on the outside that will become beautiful gems after polishing, cutting, and rounding. Research is much like gem hunting in that it is a process of discovery. Research requires gathering information, analyzing sources, and organizing data to produce a well-thought-out work. Researchers should seek out guides—style manuals, librarians, and instructors to assist them. They need to evaluate sources, properly cite them, and avoid plagiarism. They must use correct grammar, accurate spelling, and well-organized ideas to produce polished work.
A Christian looks at rocks, minerals, and gems as God’s handiwork. Psalm 8, Psalm 19, and Romans 1:20 tell how all of creation speaks of God’s existence and attributes. The Bible teaches the specifics of God’s plans. The author of Proverbs encourages us to “Get wisdom […] and whatever you get, get insight […] prize her highly, and she will exalt you. (Proverbs 4:5, 8-9, ESV). “For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” (Proverbs 8:11, ESV). We are to share this biblical wisdom. Jesus’s Great Commission tells us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you …” (Matthew 28:19,20, ESV). Paul told Timothy, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men [and women], who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV). Along with guiding the research process, Christian librarians can share Biblical wisdom–a treasure more valuable than the Idaho Star Garnet.
Elizabeth Werner
Elizabeth a retired librarian from Clearwater Christian College. She has been an ACL member since 1976 and currently resides in Clearwater, FL.