Dana Bell

I actually love the library and frequented libraries in many cities I've lived in. I enjoy studying as much as others might enjoy reading history, novels or poetry. That changed several years ago when I was "blacklisted" by the Tyler Public Library. I was frequenting the library at the time and had checked out a book by a certain author. I noticed that the card didn't exactly match the spine and the counter person said not to worry. When I later tried the check out another book, there was an unreturned book on my record. It was a book with a different title, by the same author. The card for the book that I had supposedly checked out didn't have a book to go with it, obviously. That was the last time I tried to check out anything.

However, my library experience is more involved than that. When I was in high school I worked in the library and at graduation received recognition as a Student Librarian, as well as a distinguished service award for what I did. My time was spent organizing the library shelves. Most of the official student librarians used that time as an opportunity to socialize. They would grab a handful of books to be shelved and just put them on the shelf anywhere. That's where my work came in. Prior to graduation, the librarian encouraged me to take up library science as a career and I did take a few classes in college.

I suspect the staffing at the Tyler library is similar. At least a few years ago, the library was hiring staff to shelf books, with no experience required. Attention to details in matching cards and books and in shelving books is something that you are not likely to get from an employee with no experience and minimum wage incentive. But, personal experiences aside, let's examine an issue brought up by a Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph article dated February 25, 2007.

While the lead paragraphs in the article noted that Smith County has fewer libraries than the average for the state, later in the article it was noted that Smith County spent more than the statewide average per capita. Other statistics are also noted, but taken out of context of the characteristics in Tyler, they may be quite misleading. In fact, some of those statistics could be interpreted quite differently.

Higher than average expenditures and lower than average library visits seems to indicate that it's not a matter of how much we spend that affects a library's usefulness. It's a management issue. More than that, it shows, in general, that we are spending too much on the library. In short, the library is needed to the same degree that it is being used.

There's always going to be someone saying they don't have adequate access to a library, but on the whole, the Tyler library is meeting Tyler's needs. Typically, the public library is used by lower to middle class people. Tyler, however, is one of the more affluent cities in the state, and the affluent are not as likely to use or need the public library. Instead of comparing by total population (and reaching for the 100,000 mark), a more accurate comparison would have to be with the number of potential users.

School and college libraries also meet many of the library needs of Tyler. With three colleges within the city limits, students have abundant access to library services to supplement their public school libraries. And the college libraries are also open to the public.

The needs of a community are also affected by access to other sources. I suspect much of Tyler has access to the internet, and limited need for library materials. Universally, information needs are being met more by internet services and the need for library services are diminishing. Even more significant, the information needs are considerably more specific than three decades ago, making it less likely that a small satellite library will have whatever the user needs.

BTW, the Tyler League of Women Voters that did the study of the library services is an organization that has its base (at least unofficially) at the Tyler Public Library. The LWV voter's guides are available there as well as a rack of LWV literature. Such is the nature of Tyler politics and journalism.

I've been visiting some church and ministry web sites, looking for inspiration for a church site redesign. For me, it's hard to look at design without reading what they have to say. Most of the sites I've visited had some crucial gospel "message", other than the plan of salvation. For some it is God's power, or our power as bestowed to us by God. For others, it is evangelism, or the need for funding, as if the more money we get, the more people will get saved, which is really heresy. For still others, the devotional lifestyle is crucial to being and staying a Christian. Then there's morality, missions, and service oriented groups. Every group has a different interest and an opinion to go along with it.

Anyone that has an opinion will occasionally be viewed with disdain by those who do not share that opinion. It's only fair, I often have similar views of others. Yes, there are some things that are immovable as truth, but at the same time there are many things that are not so deeply engraved in the truth tablets. There are those who come from a more traditional background (Matthew), others with a more intense view of the Christian life (Mark), a few that look at things analytically (Luke), and depending on the age, those that are a bit on the emotional, touchy, feel-ly side (John).

Certainly, I may feel that others in the church go overboard on some teachings, but that's been the case for 20 centuries. There is one thing to consider when you meet someone that doesn't share you particular viewpoint, and that is the perspective that you have. Everyone is positioned in time and space differently, so everyone's perspective will be different from anyone else. If we will consider that, we will not only be more understanding of other's viewpoints, but since none of us has the perfect perspective, we can get a better picture by looking at things from more than one vantage point.

Our work group enjoyed a lunch outing today (tomorrow actually) and one of the topics of discussion was how we have so much to do, so much to write, and so little time. We are compelled to live our lives by setting priorities, with God first, family next, job next, recreation next, or whatever order you use. Setting priorities is one of those things I've heard for decades and yet rarely considered oppugning. If we were to truly set priorities and put God first, then He would have to have our exclusive attention. If family comes before work, then we should stay home more. Logically, we should all of our time in the highest priority areas.

True, there are some pragmatic reasons for listing items based on importance, but I suggest that it has (or should have) more to do with something beside priorities, something that comes from Ecclesiastes.

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

Many people will say that Mary had her priorities straight. My feeling is that your priorities are more defined by your individual gifts than what is the more important thing to do.

These two sisters also had a brother named Lazarus who was ill. The story is long and complex, but in short, Jesus delayed coming until Lazarus had died. While he did have a purpose, as I follow Jesus' ministry, it seems that he ministered based on what he needed to do at the time. There's a time to sit at Jesus' feet and just listen, and there's a time to minister in other ways.

There are numerous passages that tell us to seek God's will, and what things that consists of. We have plenty to do. We just need to do what we know needs to be done at the time, and meet new assignments with an open heart and willing hands. To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun.