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Public Services
David E. Schmersal, Stitt Library, Austin Presbyterian Theological  
Seminary, Chair

MEMBERS PRESENT

• Daniel Baek, Vancouver School of Theology
• Charles Bellinger, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian 

University
• Jane Elder, Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, 

Southern Methodist University
• Daniel Flores, Texas Lutheran University
• Laura Giacobbe, Gardner A. Sage Library
• Steve Jamieson, Covenant Theological Seminary
• Elizabeth Young Miller, Reeves Library, Moravian College & 

Moravian Theological Seminary
• Beth Perry, McAfee School of Theology
• David E. Schmersal, Stitt Library, Austin Presbyterian  

Theological Seminary
• John Shaffett, Shorter University
• Daniel Smith, The Styberg Library, Garrett-Evangelical  

Theological Seminary
• Kate Wimer, George Fox University

INTEREST GROUP REPORTS



18  A NNUA L Y E A RBOOK

ABSENT MEMBERS

• Suzanne Estelle-Holmer, Yale Divinity School Library
• Leslie Fuller, Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology,  

Southern Methodist University
• Kaeley McMahan, Wake Forest University
• Mary-Carol Riehs, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
• Jennifer Ulrich, Eastern Mennonite University
• Garrit van Dyk, Brigham Young University

AGENDA

1)  Welcome (and thank you) to Elizabeth Young Miller who 
is assuming a leadership role in the group.

2)  Atla LibGuide: Websites on Religion:  
https://atla.libguides.com/WOR

     After Atla assumed ownership of the Websites on Religion list 
created by Charles Bellinger and formerly maintained by the 
Wabash Center, Atla hired Jim Darlack to convert this content 
into a LibGuide, available on Atla’s website: https://atla.libguides.
com/WOR. Christine Fruin of Atla has asked members of the Public 
Services Interest Group and the World Religions Interest Group to 
collaborate with other members of Atla, and of the wider realm 
of religious and theological studies, to develop and maintain this 
LibGuide going forward. 

     Developing this guide to curated, free, open-access online resources 
in religion and theology will be useful not only for librarians but 
also for alumni and others who do not have access to subscrip-
tion databases. It is our hope that the development of this guide 
will serve as a catalyst for the creation of additional stand-alone 
guides that will facilitate exploring individual faith traditions, their 
history, and their sacred texts in greater depth. 

     The group discussed the desirability of adding a section featuring 
denominational resources and websites.  



Interest Group Meetings  19

3)  Discussion 
a.   What accommodations/adaptations made during the pandemic 

do you anticipate carrying on as we (hopefully) get back to some-
thing more akin to “normal”?

      Members of the group discussed various changes made to public 
services during the pandemic, for example purchasing a book drop 
or delivering books directly to faculty offices, and the likelihood 
that such changes will be continued in the future. Many also noted 
the change to purchasing e-books primarily or exclusively. Several 
group members shared considerable increases in the use of chat 
and video options for reference and some group members noted 
the benefits of using the share screen functions of video confer-
encing software (such as Zoom) even in in-person reference and 
research consultations.

b.   If you could go back in time (to February 2020) and tell yourself 
to make one change to your public services, what would it be?

       The consensus among members of the group was that if we could 
go back in time and change one aspect of public services, it would 
be placing greater emphasis on purchasing and offering instruc-
tion featuring electronic resources, particularly e-books. In addi-
tion, some noted a desire to enhance training for student staff.

c.   Additional topics

       A few members of the group shared experiences (good and bad) 
of working in libraries undergoing a renovation during the 
pandemic.

OTHER

The PSIG sponsored a session at the 2021 Atla conference: P and/or 
E: That Is (Still) the Question (Or Is It?): Collection Development in 
a Post-pandemic World, featuring three panelists: Steve Perisho of 
Seattle Pacific University, Juliana Morley of Talbot School of Theology, 
and David Schmersal or Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.


