I’ve worked in academic libraries for 37 years: 19 at Indiana University, 12 at Point Loma Nazarene University, and 6 at Lenoir-Rhyne University. All three institutions had some kind of faculty status for librarians, and all three allowed for promotion in rank, service on faculty committees, and other faculty responsibilities and benefits. For the most part, I think faculty status has been a strong positive for libraries and librarians. With these systems in place, I was promoted several times, received tenure at two different institutions, and served in leadership roles on faculty committees at all three institutions.
Sabbatical
February 2025
Note from the Coordinator
Happy February! As this short month gets underway, we’re bringing you a short yet valuable update. While we’ve highlighted a few key vendors below, don’t forget to visit the website for a comprehensive list of all our partnerships. We’re here to answer any questions or provide additional details about the consortial discount opportunities available to you.

Beth Purtee
CLC Team Coordinator
Is your CLC Institutional Membership
in good standing?
Did you know ACL offers two types of memberships?
- Individual Membership: For individuals, valid from January 1 to December 31.
- CLC Institutional Membership: For Christian institutions of higher education, valid from July 1 to June 30.
As we begin the new year, we want to remind our CLC institutional members that maintaining your membership in good standing requires your library to have at least one full ACL individual member.
To ensure compliance, be sure an individual from your library has a full ACL individual membership for the 2025 membership year. If you or someone from your library needs to renew their individual ACL membership, please do so immediately through the MY ACCOUNT section of the ACL website. Those who have renewed their membership for 2025 should have received an email with payment and membership confirmation. If you are unsure of the status of your CLC or individual membership, please don’t hesitate to contact the ACL Home Office for assistance.
In case you missed it last month, we’re excited to remind you about the 15% discount for new subscribers to ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (PQDT Global) or the ProQuest Religion Database. This is a great opportunity to expand your library’s resources at a reduced cost. Visit the ProQuest offer webpage to find out who to contact for more information or to request a price quote.
Additionally, we’ve started discussions with ProQuest about potential discounts on ebooks. Stay tuned—we’ll share details as they become available.
As you prepare your budgets for the upcoming year, don’t overlook our partnership with Perlego! With a library of over one million books, including theology titles from Zondervan, Eerdmans, Baker, and IVP, Perlego provides robust learning opportunities. Each license grants unlimited access to all titles on the platform. Greater numbers of purchased licenses provide discounts at scale. Want to learn more? Register to join one of our upcoming webinars with Perlego:
Register today or reach out to Ryan Borgesius, (ryan@perlego.com) directly if you’re unable to attend but want details on this valuable offer.
Our long-standing partnership with OCLC continues to bring great value to CLC members. New subscribers to WorldShare Management Services (WMS) can enjoy a 20% discount, and we’re just a few libraries away from reaching the 25% discount level.
In addition, we hope to soon be in conversation with OCLC regarding the possibility of broadening the scope of our partnership to include additional OCLC products..
This month, we’d like to remind you about the fantastic resources available through RightNow Media. With a subscription, your institution gains discounted access to over 20,000 Biblical video resources, benefiting not only your students but also employees, their families, and alumni.
Be sure to visit the offer webpage for pricing details and additional information about this valuable partnership.
Director of the Warren Library – Palm Beach Atlantic University – West Palm Beach, FL
Job Summary
Palm Beach Atlantic University, a private Christian university of over 4,000 students in West Palm Beach, Florida, seeks an experienced and visionary leader to collaborate with the University community in positioning the Warren Library for ongoing excellence in supporting student success, enabling faculty and student research, and serving as a central nexus of the campus. The successful candidate for this position will be deeply knowledgeable about emerging technologies and will use that understanding as a foundation for leading the library toward a vision of serving current and future needs of PBA’s undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and greater PBA community.
January 2025

Available in 3 languages
Note from the Coordinator
Happy New Year to one and all! It is a joy, as always, to be a part of ACL and this amazing CILA team. The fall is perhaps my favorite time of the year for CILA work, because the team reviews all the applications for the Global Library Investment Grant. While it is always difficult to allocate our finite funds, it is so encouraging to see the amazing work that is being done around the world by faithful librarians and educators. Whether it is setting up an ILS, pursuing professional development, or updating a library collection, it all helps move God’s kingdom forward in knowledge and witness as we equip our students and the communities we serve. This newsletter highlights the projects that were chosen for this year. Additionally, there are opportunities to be involved that the team is excited to share. Enjoy learning about your fellow members and the work of ACL.
Peace and blessings to each of you in this season.
Erin McCoy
CILA Coordinator
Openings on the CILA Leadership Team
Are you passionate about making an impact on a global scale? CILA is excited to announce two openings for Global Members-at-Large on our Leadership Team!
The Global Member-at-Large is a vital part of the team, contributing broadly without a predefined role. These team members will bring diverse insights, ensuring our decisions are inclusive and well-rounded. They will play a key role in shaping CILA’s initiatives by offering valuable input, expertise, and perspectives.
Duties include:
- Active participation in virtual team meetings via Zoom and email.
- Engagement in the International Interest Group listserv and Zoom meetings.
- Collaboration with team members to achieve goals and meet deadlines for projects such as:
- Quarterly newsletter
- Grant application review
- Resource promotion
How to Apply:
Please create a paragraph- 500 words max- illustrating your library experience, your involvement with ACL or another library organization, and what skills you believe you can contribute to the team, based on the above list. Email Erin McCoy at mccoynazlibrarian@gmail.com directly with your application. In the subject line put “CILA Volunteer Inquiry”. Contact Kristina Claunch, ACL Volunteer Coordinator, with any additional questions.
Congratulations to the 2024 Global Library Investment Grant Recipients
- Ghana Christian University College – Esther Tawiah
Ghana, Africa
For print-based collection development - Tavriski Christian Institute – Nick Gorodetski
Ukraine
Replacement of library technology equipment - Lesotho College Education – Monica Letsoha
Lesotho, Africa
Professional development
International Librarians Special Interest Group Update
The goal of this interest group is to try to meet every other month on Zoom, alternating times and hosts to accommodate all the time zones represented. We will discuss the issues unique to overseas libraries as well as ways to share our expertise and resources with each other. If you have a heart for international libraries or live in a country outside the US, please join our group.
CALA – Christian Association of Librarians in Africa
CALA-K is an acronym for Christian Association of Librarians in Africa. They have a vision similar to ours, they seek to empower Christian librarians through professional development, scholarship, and spiritual encouragement for service in higher education and society in Africa. In the past, ACL has sent librarians to offer training locally and they have sent people to the ACL conference.
We have people helping present at their CALA online conference. If more people are interested we could use another co-presenter or an additional presentation on Zoom.
What is your name? Lilian Jeptoo
Where is your library located? Nairobi, Kenya
What type of library do you work in? Academic – Liberal Arts
How long have you been a librarian? 8+ years
What is your primary library role? Reference and circulation librarian
What do you love most about your library role? Engagement and student success
What challenges do you face in doing your job as an international librarian? Subscriptions and funding
What are some low-budget or free resources you use in your library? Google Scholar and Kenya Law online databases

Dorothy Spidell Conference Scholarship – Now Open!
The Dorothy Spidell Conference Scholarship provides financial assistance for international ACL members (outside the U.S. & Canada) to attend the 2025 ACL Annual Conference at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho (June 1–4, 2025).
Eligibility: Applicants must be 2025 ACL members, practicing academic librarians (full or part-time), or full-time MLIS students.
Scholarship Covers:
✔ Conference registration (On-campus Double Occupancy Package)
✔ Up to $150 per day for incidental travel costs on arrival & departure days (i.e. Transportation from the airport to the conference site, meals on travel days, tips/gratuities)
Applicants are responsible to secure funding for airline tickets.
Application Deadline: March 10, 2025
Recipients will be notified by March 20, 2025.
Library Director – Bushnell University – Eugene, OR
Job Summary
Bushnell University was founded as Eugene Divinity School in 1895, and remains committed to preparing students for purpose-driven lives within a Christ-centered environment. It holds regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), affirming that it meets high standards of institutional quality and integrity.
The Library Director provides leadership and direction for Kellenberger Library operations, resources, and services. Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive and integrated information literacy plan, and provide and oversee bibliographic and information literacy instruction for students and faculty. Develop and implement a full range of appropriate research and reference services for students, faculty, and other users. Collaborate with faculty and administrators to promote and incorporate library services and instruction within the curriculum. In cooperation with library staff and faculty, develop the collection through ongoing and systematic selection and weeding. Requires evening and weekend hours.
Cataloging Supervisor – Northwest University – Kirkland, WA
Job Summary
Oversee library services during evening shifts, providing customer service and reference assistance. Responsible for Interlibrary Loan and Reserves, collection maintenance, and marketing library services. Supervises library student assistants. Full-time (1 FTE) position.
Director of Library Services – Westminster Theological Seminary – Glenside, PA
Job Summary
The Director is responsible for setting the vision and objectives for the library’s staff, collections, and services, with special emphasis on inculcating research skills among students. This position reports to the Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies.
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Protestant theological seminary in the Reformed theological tradition, which will be celebrating the centenary of its founding in 2029. In addition to on-site programs at its Philadelphia campus, the seminary offers a growing range of programs online, as well as in non-English languages and cultures. The library currently has approximately 150,000 print volumes, approximately 550 periodical subscriptions, and offers a substantial array of electronic resources. In addition, the seminary’s Archives and Special Collections house essential resources relating to Westminster’s heritage, including the papers of J. Gresham Machen, Cornelius Van Til, etc. A complete renovation of the library’s main floor is presently underway, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2024.
Faculty–Instructor/Liaison Librarian – Lipscomb University – Nashville, TN
Job Summary
About Lipscomb University: Lipscomb University is a private Christian university located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ and committed to preparing learners for purposeful lives through rigorous academics and transformative experiences. About the Department: Lipscomb’s Beaman Library is entering an exciting time of transformation and innovation. Lipscomb University seeks to create a Learning Commons. Key departments providing essential academic services to students have been identified and assembled (Library Services, Coggin Family Academic Success Center, Center for Teaching and Learning, Career Development Center, and the Office of Accessibility and Learning Supports). This collaboration will seamlessly support students and academic success by meeting current scholastic needs and expanding to encourage scholastic creativity. Thus, Beaman Library seeks a dynamic, forward-thinking, and collegial information literacy instruction/liaison librarian eager to liaise with programs, partner with faculty in their teaching and research, and engage with the development of students’ information literacy and research skills needed to succeed in college and career.
Position Description/ Job Summary: This full-time faculty-status position. Requires 40 hours of work each week, including some evening and weekend availability. The Instruction/Liaison Librarian is one member of an energetic, scrappy, creative team that values cultivating students’ curiosity and fostering a learning environment where students and faculty are inspired to create. Primary responsibilities include teaching information literacy skills and concepts in assigned liaison areas, working with teaching faculty in those areas to develop department- and course-specific objectives and providing customized reference services/appointments. Create, maintain, and assess digital learning objects, information literacy instructional materials, and/or services. Assists the Collection Development and Systems librarians with collection development activities related to their departmental and subject assignments. The Instruction/liaison librarian is a dynamic contributor to peer’s success and group initiatives by staying abreast of best practices in librarianship and instruction. He or she will collaborate with colleagues to develop library programming and support outreach initiatives.
01/2025 – Frank Quinn
Research & Instruction Librarian – Liberty University – Lynchburg, VA
Job Summary
Jerry Falwell Library Faculty librarians are essential to Liberty University’s mission of Training Champions for Christ. It is expected that faculty model a personal commitment to the goals and values of Liberty University as well as support personal spiritual formation within a biblically informed Christian worldview. Librarians at the Jerry Falwell Library are full-time benefited, 12-month administrative faculty members who engage in technical, instructional, and scholarly support of faculty, staff, and students. Areas of service may vary depending on changing needs, but all positions are committed to working collaboratively and independently in team-based environments.
About Liberty University and Jerry Falwell Library:
Join our team of professional librarians at Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell Library! We have a full-time, faculty position available: Research & Instruction Librarian. New graduates are welcome to apply for our open staff positions. Our beautiful campus sprawls over 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, VA, near the famous Blue Ridge Mountains and James River, which offer miles of scenic trails and beautiful parks for outdoor enthusiasts. In downtown Lynchburg, walking tours highlight iconic landmarks and monuments that reveal Central Virginia’s rich history. A vibrant arts community and diverse collection of restaurants and markets complement the culture of the historic city. The 170,000 square-foot library opened in 2014 with the latest technological advances, including a two-story robotic book retrieval system and a fully equipped technology commons. Featuring Jeffersonian-style architecture, the building was recognized with Library Journal’s Landmark Libraries 2016 Honorable Mention Award for innovative design and spaces. It offers views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a small lake, and the academic lawn. A main focal point in the Esbenshade Atrium is a media wall that is 22 feet wide by 12.5 feet high. It features news and weather as well as university social media and events. Casual seating areas, reading rooms, a spacious café, multiple balconies, and three levels of quiet add to the relaxed, scholarly atmosphere. Our popular group study rooms with writable walls provide opportunities for students to collaborate while the Active Learning Classroom and telepresence technologies support interactive and virtual learning. The library supports over 15,000 residential students, more than 2,700 faculty, and a thriving online learning community. Liberty was founded in 1971 by Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. with a vision of training Champions for Christ. As an R3 doctoral university with over 700 unique programs of study on the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels, you have an exciting opportunity to join us in creating a culture of student research and success. In this position, you must be able to work with and provide customer service to diverse populations in compliance with our Non-discrimination Statement (http://www.liberty.edu/