Date: July 28, 2025
I love being the Seminary Librarian for many reasons. Serving as the chief curator of the rich theological perspectives expressed in the Bishop Payne Library’s wide variety of resources –from several papyrus fragments to circulating print books (approx. 200,000) to archival holdings (approx. 4000 linear feet) to rare books (approx. 16,000) to electronic books (approx. 400,000) and electronic articles (access to millions)–is fascinating work!
Equally delightful are the people in the library. The resources are here to be used, and BPL has many users of materials in all formats. It is thoroughly rewarding for staff members to help patrons discover how the library’s collections can nourish their minds and spirits. The icing on the cake is that we are always learning new things ourselves from our interactions with library users.
This brings me to my final point: patrons are not the only delightful people in the library. My colleagues at BPL are a treasure in and of themselves. Each and every one of them is knowledgeable, skillful, affable, and dedicated. They truly care about what they do, they care about providing excellent stewardship of our holdings, and they care about the community that we serve. Tune into the Commentary for the rest of this week to be introduced to our newest staff members and to get updates from other staff members about what they have been doing recently to help you take even greater advantage of the library’s holdings, as well as other reflections on their work.
The Rev. Joseph D. Thompson, Ph.D.
Seminary Librarian