Be Encouraged – 09/2021

“Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.” (Acts 27:33-36 NIV)

In this life, it is a given that we shall encounter problems, calamities, troubles, and pandemics. We have been told that, “… In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). I get comfort from this word every time I look at the news, every time I learn of the passing on of a loved one, and every time I am on the verge of giving up due to the pressures of workplace issues and family predicaments. Losing several relatives within a space of a year led me to reflect a bit, and reading this verse gave me courage to spare a minute or two to help students in similar positions of pressure and loss.

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Jodi Brown – 08/2021

Jodi is the Elementary Librarian/Media Center Coordinator at Dayton Christian Schools in Miamisburg, OH (800 FTE). She has been an ACL member since 2016.

Describe yourself using a book title: Curious George Goes to the Library

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? Being able to share my love of reading with my students by introducing them to the wonderful world books have to offer. I love seeing that light bulb go off when they discover how wonderful books are.

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Seferino Esparza – 07/2021

Seferino is the Acquisition-Reference Librarian and an Instructor at College of Biblical Studies – Houston in Houston, TX (355 FTE). He has been an ACL member since 2016.

Describe yourself using a book title: Knowing God by J.I. Packer. In all that I do, I want to know Christ.

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? There are two things that I enjoy about being a librarian: serving others and knowledge. It’s not a secret that at the heart of librarianship is serving others by assisting them with the information (or knowledge) they are seeking. On the one hand, we model Christ’s command to love others (service) and on the other hand, we provide hope (information). Information (or knowledge) can bring hope to a person who needs it.

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Alyssa Sultanik – 06/2021

Alyssa is the Director of Library Services at West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, CA (763 FTE). She has been an ACL member since 2018.

Twitter Handle: @mrssultanik

Describe yourself using a book title: Getting Things Done

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? I love being able to help people and to see them succeed in their academic endeavors.

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His Grace is Sufficient – 06/2021

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)

The pandemic has been extraordinary to us in many aspects. In my tiny little world, it has been by far the busiest professionally, given all the work pivoting to online information literacy teaching and reference support. Living by myself, I sometimes struggle with the feeling of isolation, while having to deal with a new chronic pain condition. Life has not been very easy. I remember praying to the Lord for the strength and wisdom I needed to go through each day.

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Gary Fitsimmons – 05/2021

Gary is the Director of Library Services and Professor of Information Literacy at Bryan College in Dayton, TN (1,089 FTE). He has been an ACL member since 2015.

Describe yourself using a book title: Paradoxology: Why Christianity Was Never Meant to Be Simple by Krish Kandiah. I haven’t read the book, but it sounds like my life message!

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? The best thing about being a librarian is being able to help students when they don’t even know they need help.

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Just Bury Your Head in the Sand – 05/2021

“From Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.” (I Chronicles 12:32 NIV)

Do you ever feel that way? I admit to you that sometimes I don’t have the mental energy to take in what is happening around us.

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Stephanie Leupp – 04/2021

Stephanie is the Technical Services Manager at the Greene County Public Library in Xenia, OH. She has been an ACL member since 2000.

Describe yourself using a book title: I had to ask my best friend, and she said A Girl of the Limberlost almost immediately. Now I need to go read that!

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? Not having to work outside and working in a quiet environment.

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What I Know to Be True – 04/2021

“I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.” (Psalm 146:2 NLT)

This last year has brought many weeks and months of uncertainty for everyone. The pandemic changed how everything was to operate within our libraries, workplaces, and even homes. My sense of communication changed dramatically, without the cues from body language seen when communicating face to face. And, of course, let’s not forget heated elections and world news.

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Rory Patterson – 03/2021

Rory is the Associate Dean, Planning, Administration, and Operations at the Jerry Falwell Library of Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA (75,335 FTE). He has been an ACL member since 1999.

Twitter Handle: @rory_patt

Describe yourself using a book title: The Grace Awakening by Charles R. Swindoll. This book introduced me to the reality of lived grace. I try to live daily in the awareness of God’s grace, both giving and receiving grace, and to journal what grace I received each day.

What’s the best thing about being a librarian? To me, the best thing about being a librarian is meeting others’ needs. I get to meet informational needs in reference and instruction events. As a team, we meet many types of resource needs. I work with departments to meet job needs in hiring. As Christian librarians, we meet spiritual needs via praying and peer discipling.

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