Reaching out with resources: Red Bay First Baptist Church opens library to public
What is less common is a library that also boasts shelf after shelf of DVDs, children’s books, CDs, adult fiction and nonfiction and more – and all available to the community. That is exactly what Red Bay First Baptist Church has to offer.
Red Bay FBC once had just two shelves with a few books for church members to peruse. That was before library director Doris Hutcheson came on the scene. “They really didn’t have anyone to take hold, who knew how to do it,” Hutcheson said. Hutcheson came to Red Bay FBC ten years ago and immediately began working to revamp and expand the church’s measly literary offerings, building on her prior experience as library director at Russellville First Baptist – where she learned on the job how to manage a functional church library, rising to the director position after serving briefly on the library committee.
“I didn’t even know how to turn on the computer. I didn’t know the first thing about call numbers,” Hutcheson said. She began taking classes offered by the Baptist Association to develop and hone her library skills. Now she’s well-equipped to oversee the large Red Bay library.
After years of slowly expanding, the Red Bay First Baptist Church Patrick Hill Memorial Library – named in honor of the former pastor’s son, who had Down syndrome and died at a young age –
now boasts 7,000 items in its inventory. DVD collections include movies with a Christian theme or undertone as well as just wholesome, clean titles, like “Little House on the Prairie.” Some movies feature more mature content, Hutcheson said, with the potential for some language or violence, but still offer a valuable moral or uplifting message; those titles can only be checked out by an adult.
Fiction titles are available for children and juniors as well as adult readers. A large collection of booklets from Daily Bread are each designed to be read in one sitting, at 32 pages apiece. They cover a wide variety of subject matters. “We have one on every topic you could imagine,” Hutcheson said. Nonfiction DVDs serve as teaching and learning resources on a range of Bible topics, in the format of sermons and study courses. A whole wall of reference material is also available; former pastor Larry Hill donated all his personal reference material on his retirement, which Hutcheson inventoried, catalogued, labeled and made available to readers.
The public is invited to peruse and borrow these materials on Wednesdays from noon to 7:30 p.m. “We’re still trying to get the word out that we are open to the public,” Hutcheson said. She said she is also actively working to make people more aware of all the resources the library offers. “People think a church library is a few shelves of donated books, and our library is not like that. I’m proud of what we have. We have worked hard.”
The library first opened to the public in spring 2017, Hutcheson said. “We wanted more people to have access to these wonderful resources we have. We don’t want to hoard all this – we want to share it,” Hutcheson said. “Hopefully they will be influenced by what they read. We try to make sure everything is Christ-centered, family-oriented.”
Having such a curated collection doesn’t come by accident.
“We read all of the children’s books before we put them on the shelf. We watch every DVD. We listen to every CD,” Hutcheson said. “We try to be very careful what we put in here.”
Hutcheson is aided by a staff of volunteers: Denise Pierce, Jeremy Collum, Dorothy Stockton, Donna Overton and Dorothy Harris. Some are involved in preparing new materials for check-out, and others are active in keeping the library open, assisting library visitors.
“The church is here to reach out to people,” Pierce said. “Hopefully we can make contacts, make friendships and get people to come to church.”
Hutcheson actively ensures materials include new, in-demand titles. She regularly culls the church’s collection to remove older, outdated items.
“I am constantly looking through catalogue of Christian book distributors and Christian magazines,” Hutcheson said. “I’m constantly ordering new things.” Once materials are ordered, they have to be labeled, covered with protective laminate, stamped with ownership, outfitted with checkout pockets and cards, entered into the computer program and shelved appropriately.
“We have such a wide variety,” Pierce said. “If you like to read, if you like to watch movies, if you like to listen to music, if you have children, if you need resources – we have it all.”
Hutcheson, who is also the Franklin County Baptist Association library director, said materials may be checked out for two weeks, and borrowers may call the library to renew their items.
“The public has really been good about bringing things back and bringing them on time,” Hutcheson said. Although there have been a few instances of items not being returned by some of their youngest borrowers, Hutcheson said she and her staff take it in stride. “We don’t get bent out of shape if we lose some things. We think, ‘Those books don’t have a soul. The kids do.’ And that’s what we’re after – to have that child come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. If he doesn’t listen to it or read the book, maybe it will get in the hands of somebody who will. So I don’t get upset.”
That mindset and heart for reaching the lost is what drives Hutcheson to continue in a role that requires many hours of labor and commitment.
“It’s a ministry. It’s something you do for the Lord to help other people,” Hutcheson said. “If you don’t have a heart for it, you won’t stay with it.”
