New ‘Theological Librarianship’ Available!

A new issue of Theological Librarianship (TL) has just been published! It is available at https://serials.atla.com/theolib.

The editorial team of TL issued a call for proposals for a forum devoted to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It was our original intent to publish the forum in this issue. The topic for this forum was generated over a year ago. In so doing, the editorial team hoped to further conversations we felt to be important within our profession and our larger society. However, the events that took place after our decision to do a DEI forum redefined the standards for such a contribution. Our attempts to assemble the intended forum for publication in this issue within a rapidly transforming context made us keenly aware of the limits of our expertise, the limits of our professional networks, and, indeed, the limits of our original vision.

For this reason, the editorial board decided not to proceed with the forum. This decision represents no weakening of our commitment to the ideals of DEI but, rather, reflects the seriousness with which we take that commitment. We at TL find ourselves called to explore other, more systemic ways to realize our commitment. We still want to foster desperately needed conversations that have already grown far beyond our original call and that demand more sustained engagement than a single-issue forum can provide. We cannot do that, however, without your continued engagement as a community of readers, a community of reflective practitioners, and, ultimately, a community of writers. So we invite you once again, not in an isolated call with an arbitrary deadline, but in a perpetual and ongoing appeal born out of Theological Librarianship’s underlying mission, to join us in this endeavor.

For a little further development of our decision, I encourage you to take a look at TL’s editorial. It includes some recommended resources which could be utilized to continue the discussion on diversity on how we, in our contexts as theological librarians, can contribute to the DEI discussion.

This issue of TL has two articles. We are proud to present them to the community of theological librarians. The first, “Uncertainty and Resilience,” looks at how theological libraries have worked with COVID-19 and the challenges it has brought upon many facets of higher education. Megan E. Welsh, Ian Burke, and James Estes provide the results of a survey and interviews in relation to how theological librarians have handled these challenges and what we can learn through COVID-19 experiences. The second article provides a glimpse of the work of Pamphilus of Caesarea Maritima in the third and fourth centuries CE. In this article, Paul Hartog provides an excellent picture of Pamphilus, who managed what many would consider equivalent to a library. Hartog argues that Pamphilus fulfilled seven roles that persist in librarianship to this day.

This issue also has some fantastic book reviews on resources that you may find helpful for your professional development and/or your library’s collection.

Student Essay Contest

We are also collecting essays for our Student Essay Contest. This is open to any student currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program who can submit an essay on topics that lie within the intersection of librarianship and religious and theological studies and that potentially impact libraries. There is a $500 cash reward, plus complimentary registration and a travel grant to attend Atla Annual 2022. There is more information available at: https://serials.atla.com/theolib/announcement/view/15.

Join the Editorial Board

Finally, if you enjoy reading TL, you may want to consider joining the editorial team. We are currently accepting applications for an editorial position. There is information available at: https://www.atla.com/blog/theological-librarianship-accepting-applications-for-editorial-board-vacancy-2/. If you have an interest in theology and/or religious studies and writing, publishing, and/or editing, consider applying to join TL’s editorial team.

Enjoy the current issue of Theological Librarianship!

About the Journal

Theological Librarianship is an open-access journal publishing peer-reviewed articles, as well as essays and reviews, on subjects at the intersection of librarianship and religious and theological studies that potentially impact libraries. Learn more.

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