2017 American Theological Library Association Annual Conference

This session will demonstrate how Research Services is different from traditional reference services and the benefits that this change has brought. The change is in its first year of existence and the findings are fresh and "hot off of the press." Attendees will learn the benefits of having at least two professional research librarians and of having limited, yet dedicated, scheduled hours for patron interaction as well as small scheduled workshops

Participants will discuss the changes made to the NACO authority process and CONSER process this year. Any changes to the Best Practices and Thesaurus documents will be proposed and discussed. Outcomes from the CONSER/BIBCO Meeting will be presented. NACO participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the transition to a new NACO Funnel Coordinator. Prospective members are encouraged to come and consider joining.

David W. Lewis has written an insightful, provocative book on academic libraries titled Reimagining the Academic Library that notes six forces affecting libraries today:

• Technology has changed the socio-economic world around libraries.
• Digitally shared knowledge changes how we use it.
• The book is changing.
• Opening the scholarly record poses challenges that are more social than technical; individual institutions cannot meet those challenges by themselves.
• The commodification of scholarly knowledge has given libraries more access to knowledge at an unsustainable price.
• Libraries are full of aging staff; to make the changes we need to make, organizations must both tend to morale while also developing new kinds of expertise.

Lewis claims libraries must work collectively to develop a shared responsibility for preserving print, shift funding to open access initiatives, and develop a systemic way for libraries of all sizes to combine their resources.

I propose a paper that asks: How do Lewis’ recommendations apply to theological libraries? How do these recommendations apply to ATLA as an association? How can ATLA librarians stop thinking in local terms and develop a vision of what we can do collectively to preserve, provide access to, and generate knowledge for the church and academy?