The truth about tutorials

Paula

Spring Break

Yes, the Library is still open during Spring Break, and we expect to see a lot of you here working on term papers, etc.

Note our limited hours, however : Mon-Thurs we will close at 5:00 pm; Friday and Saturday (and of course Sunday) we will be closed. The staff needs to have a little Spring Break, too!

Paula

Movies and Ministry

Many people come to the IRC asking for movie themes or scenes that might be useful in illustrating a particular point or enhancing a class session. Since I see about two feature films a year, I’m not always the best person to ask about this! There are, however, some excellent resources available on the web. One of the great resources at the lectionary site THE TEXT THIS WEEK is the Movie Concordance that lets you search movies by title and theme. Another resource that actually allows you to download clips to use in ministry is SCREENVUE .

The only caveat to using these clips is that you first have to purchase a license from CVLI . This license gives you the legal permission to use the film clips in your ministry setting. But since I’m a big fan of churches having this license, I think that’s a small price to pay to get access to these resources.

Ann

Leak on 3rd floor west

We want to make you aware of what's happening on 3rd floor west. There is a leak in the ceiling above the TX section. Our physical plant team is working to repair the damage as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you are unable to find a book in the TX section please look on the two re-shelving carts next to the stairwell or ask us at the Circulation desk.

Rachel

The James Edwin Bear Jr. Papers

The Archives staff has just completed a two-year project to assess, arrange, rehouse and inventory our large collection of Professor James E. Bear Jr.'s faculty papers. Bear was born in China in 1893, the son of PCUS missionaries in Chinkiang. He served in China himself 1923-30, in educational and evangelistic ministries, with his young bride Margaret Irvine White.

After advanced study at Edinburgh, Basel and Princeton, Bear joined the UTS faculty to teach New Testament interpretation. But in 1950 he became the F.S. Royster Professor of Christian Mission, his first love. He wrote a prodigious five-volume history of PCUS mission work in China, and also researched the mission history of Portugal and Brazil. He was a strong advocate for missions and missionaries in PCUS churches; he and his wife Margaret provided support to missionaries in the field and at home on furlough for many years.

Our recent and current Archives Assistants, Elizabeth Grant and Robert Oliver, have spent many hours carefully sifting through the 62 document cases in this collection, organizing the contents, conserving delicate photographs, papers and objects, and writing a detailed inventory. Thanks to them, this substantial historical collection is now ready for the use of researchers and scholars.

Paula

Weeding has Begun !

Every2-3 years, we go through our curriculum inventory to see what is still available for purchase and what has gone off the market. We make a decision about what will be moved to the stacks and kept permanently, and what we will remove from library collections. That means lots of material will start showing up on the free table soon! We're hoping to put things out at the end of each week, but check back regularly and see if you might find something that might be useful to your church.

Ann

Snowstorm !

Friends, we regret the fact that the Library was closed on Monday on account of the snowstorm. We must have enough administrative staff on hand to open, and they were unable to get to campus yesterday. We had to open late this morning due to icy roads. But now we are here and able to keep the building open.

Please be sure to check the Union-PSCE Inclement Weather announcements when there is a storm or unusual weather event, to find out whether the campus is closed or functioning on a delay.

Paula