| International
Report - August 2004 Newsletter |
Librarians Organization
of the
Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa
and the
Nigerian Theological Library Association
Independent and affiliated theological library organizations in
Africa are found at the local, national, and continent-wide level. This
report spotlights the continent-wide librarians organization that is
part of ACTEA--The Accrediting
Council for Theological Education in Africa.1
The vital role libraries and librarians play in theological
education in Africa is recognized and supported by ACTEA which has
headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. ACTEA
describes its mission as “to promote
quality evangelical theological education in Africa, by providing
supporting services, facilitating academic recognition, and fostering
continental and inter- continental cooperation.” The Web site for the
librarians’ support services of ACTEA are found at http://www.theoledafrica.org/ACTEA/LibrarianServices/
Services include collection
development assistance, staff education and training, and a newsletter.
The ACTEA Librarians eNews can be found at Http://www.theoledafrica.org/ACTEA/LibrarianServices/eNews/
and is availble in French as well as English. The editor is David Fitz-Patrick,
librarian of the Bible Institute of South Africa. Phyllis Masso of the
Nairobi International School of Theology writes a regular column on
library automation. ACTEA Library Staff Training Institutes provide
continuing education for librarians and library staff. The Library
Development Programme wherein "ACTEA administers a library
development programme which provides library books to affiliated
institutions at 50% discount. More than 27 major international
publishers cooperate in this service. The programme also makes books
available at 50% discount for the personal libraries of staff at those
colleges participating in ACTEA accreditation".
Librarians in the U.S. and around the globe should know about Booknotes
for Africa, a twice-yearly review journal produced by ACTEA staff and
librarians, containing brief reviews of books relating to theological
issues about or relevant to Africa. Reviewers, both African and
international, focus on recent titles with nothing before 1986 included.
An index can be seen at:
http://www.theoledafrica.org/BookNotes/Index/
Subscription information is found on the ACTEA web site.
An example of a national theological group that was
inspired by the ACTEA librarians program as well as ATLA is the Nigerian
Theological Library Association, founded in 1994.
The establishment of many new Bible colleges, seminaries, and
churches as well as new Christian faith groups prompted a group of
theological librarians to organize the NTLA and develop at constitution.
The annual meetings provide a forum for paper presentation, business, and
fellowship.2
1Theological
Education in Africa: http://www.theoledafrica.org/
seen 25 March 2004.
2”F. Aransiola and M.A. Akewukereke. “Nigerian Theological
Library Association: The journey so far…” 1999.
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