iii

Editor’s Introduction

AS I PRESENT TO YOU the Summary of Proceedings of the 2019 Atla 
Annual Conference, my thoughts return to vibrant Vancouver, 
British Columbia, at the height of summer, where colleagues 
and friends from Atla’s worldwide community gathered to 
impart and receive knowledge, to share stories and laughter, 
and to recognize and celebrate the organization’s transition 
from the American Theological Library Association to the 
newly rebranded Atla. 

If you attended the conference in person, I hope these Proceedings 
provide an opportunity to reflect again on presentations that sparked 
your interest and to enjoy content you may have missed when you 
had to choose among several appealing sessions—or when the 
temptations of Vancouver proved too much to resist! For those of you 
who missed the 2019 conference, this volume will give you a sense 
of the program and a snapshot of the thoughtful, creative work of 
theological librarians. I was struck again and again as I read the pieces 
collected here by their engaging, conversational tone, and I thank the 
authors for presenting their projects and ideas in distinctive voices 
that are a treat to read.

With the debut of the new Atla brand identity, I have been think-
ing about how the Summary of Proceedings reflects the idea of being 
“Collectors & Connectors in Religion & Theology.” It does so most 
clearly because the authors whose work is compiled here embody 
these words. We read here about collectors who seek to enhance and 
expand their libraries’ collections areas such as Native American/First 



iv  ATL A 2019 PROCEEDINGS

Nations and religion, about scholars whose expertise in subjects like 
religion and violence enables them to recommend resources to add 
to collections, and about theologically informed ways of considering 
“collecting” open access materials. Likewise, we learn about librarians 
connecting people with resources through cataloging and outreach; 
connecting people with opportunities by describing their work in 
digital humanities, writing instruction, and a variety of administra-
tive roles; and connecting people with people by hosting events and 
creating spaces in their libraries that encourage conversation and 
collaboration.

Of course, the Summary of Proceedings itself also contributes to 
our work as “Collectors & Connectors.” It collects and preserves the 
content of the Annual Conference, making it freely available around 
the world, and it becomes part of your personal collection of profes-
sional literature, as well as, perhaps, your library’s collection. I hope 
that this volume also connects you to interesting projects, provoca-
tive ideas, and new insights into theological librarianship two decades 
into the twenty-first century. Maybe it will even inspire you to connect 
with a colleague by sharing an article or contacting an author with a 
comment or question. 

I will close this introduction with a farewell. After three years of 
serving as the first member Editor-in-Chief of the Proceedings, I am 
grateful to be handing the role over to Kris Veldheer. Many years ago, 
Kris welcomed me to my first Atla annual conference, and it has been 
a delight to have her as a colleague and friend. I thank the Atla staff 
who patiently guided and supported me as we developed the Editor-
in-Chief position into a member role. It has been an honor to have 
been entrusted with this responsibility, and I know Kris will assume 
it with grace and skill. Please enjoy the 2019 edition and know you 
have much to look forward to in 2020 and beyond.

Miranda Bennett 
Editor-in-Chief