Religion
(200)
General Comments
This class provides information about the beliefs, attitudes, and practices
of individuals and groups with respect to the ultimate nature of existence
and relationships within the context of revelation, deity, and worship.
Religion is not a large part of the collection; however, the collection
strives to provide both knowledge of world religions through sacred texts
and general works, as well as guides to spiritual growth. This collection
emphasizes Christianity through a collection for and of the faithful,
rather than of the pastoral, dogmatic, or internal affairs of the Church.
Development Plan
- 200 Religion. A small collection of information about world
religions such as Buddhism, Islam, and other major religions is developed
and maintained with an emphasis on general Christianity sources.
- 210 Natural theology. An emphasis on creationism/evolution
and secular humanism sources is maintained.
- 220 Bible. A collection of different editions of the Bible
and guides to reading the Bible needs to be developed and maintained.
A collection of Bible stories for children is maintained. Sources examining
the Old or New Testament exclusively are appropriate, as are some basic
sources about the ancient scriptures not included in the Biblical cannon.
However, the collection steers clear of scholarly analysis.
- 230 Christian theology. An emphasis on the life of Jesus and
on resurrection, judgment, and immortality is maintained. Other
theological topics may also be collected (e.g., salvation, faith,
healing, spiritual beings).
- 240 Christian moral and devotional literature. Emphasis on
devotional literature on Christian life and practice is maintained.
- 250 Local church and religious orders. A very small collection,
with a representation of homiletic (preaching) and other pastoral concerns
is maintained.
- 260 Social and ecclesiastical theology. This section is maintained
as a very small collection, with emphasis on Christianity and politics,
including televangelism.
- 270 Historical, geographic, persons treated of organized Christian
church. A small collection with a strong emphasis on basic history
of Christianity is maintained.
- 280 Christian denominations and sects. Works in this class
are developed and maintained, though excessive emphasis on sources relating
to any one sect is avoided. Books relating to any religion's curriculum
are not collected.
- 290 Comparative religion and religions other than Christianity.
A broad representation of myths from many cultures is maintained, with
emphasis on Greek and Roman myths. Native American religion sources
are maintained, as well as a core of current Islamic information. Developed
and maintained are cult sources and sources about the growth of spiritual
life in children.
Influencing Factors
Purchases and buying patterns are determined in large part by:
- electronic/Internet sources availability.
- new works.
- budget constraints.
- circulation statistics.
- patron requests.
- present and potential relevance to the community.
- shelf space.
Retention/Weeding
- A core of world religion sources is retained.
- Before the discard of older versions of the Bible or mythology sources,
each is carefully evaluated for use, authority, and reputation.
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