Member of the Month

Jon Jones – 06/2019

Jon is the Director of Library Services at Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary (FTE: 256) in Springfield, MO. He has been a member of ACL since 2012.

Describe yourself using a book title: Start with Why by Simon Sinek. My whole life I have always wanted to know why. While this is beneficial to what I do, it likely annoys my family and colleagues on occasion.

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? Connecting people with information.

What are you currently reading? Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, Lean Library Management by John J. Huber, and Killing England by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

Describe ACL in three words: Supportive, Innovative, & Professional

How do you (or How have you), as an academic librarian, contribute to your campus? I serve as the Director of Library Services and am involved in all facets of the library except cataloging, which is certainly beneficial to the library records. I oversee the Academic Resource Center which provides tutoring, writing, and test proctoring assistance. I am the Copyright Compliance officer on our campus. I advise a small amount of Elementary Education majors and teach Children’s Literature in the Education department. I serve on the Curriculum Committee and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee on our campus. I am beginning my second year on the Commission on Accreditation with ABHE which is one of our institution’s accrediting agencies. This experience has improved my knowledge of accrediting requirements for libraries as well as all other areas of a higher education institution.

I began my career as a librarian . . . after approximately 13 years of vocational church ministry at two churches in Missouri and Florida. A part-time job to provide extra income led to a Public Services Supervisor position in 2007. In 2009, I was named the Interim Library Director in 2009 and the Director of Library Services in 2010. In the fall, I will begin my 13th year at my alma mater, Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary.

What do you value about ACL? I value being part of the most active discussion board that I have ever been involved in. The discussion list alone is worth the membership and has been incredibly valuable in my professional development. I value professional interaction with exceptional librarians who also build me up in my faith and walk with Christ.

How were you introduced to ACL? One of my former bosses introduced me to ACL primarily for three areas: the discussion list, DUPEX exchange, and ILL.

How are you or have you been involved in ACL? I have written a few book reviews for The Christian Librarian and hope to have additional time to review books in the future. I am an at-Large member of the Bible College Section and participate in SLIG, the Solo Librarians Interest Group. I presented a workshop for the first time at the 2019 ACL Annual Conference.

Do you have any specific interests in the library world? I enjoy the related services of Reference and Library Instruction the most. I am a stats nerd and enjoy the planning process and data gathering involved in library administration.