Library .. History

The church library of FEFC exists to support, assist and supplement the ministry of the local body by providing a full range of Christian media resources for the education, enrichment, edification and enjoyment of the congregation and staff as they walk daily with Christ, worship Him, fellowship with one another, grow into spiritual maturity, and reach out to the lost.

On May 23, 1960, the minutes of our church Library Committee’s first meeting recorded this reason for launching a church library: To enable the congregation to share use of the “right kind of books,” which they defined as Christian biography, Christian living, Christian growth resources for youth, and missionary stories.

On October 18, 1960, Dr. Irving Ahlquist, Dr. Arnold Ehlert, and Pastor Wesley Gustafson emphasized the importance of reading Christian literature when they signed a statement that included these words: “A growing acquaintance with basic Christian literature is essential for healthy growth in the Christian life.” From then on, the Library Committee, under the direction or Dr. Ehlert as librarian, began to fill the library shelves of the church on Malvern with donations of books and through purchase with funds from individuals and church groups. Over the next 20 years, the library ministry moved, grew and developed within the confines of the Malvern site. There was an ever-present pressure to expand, and by 1968/1969, the library had about 1,300 volumes, with an average of 50 circulations per week.

In 1974, Dr. Ehlert resigned as librarian, and was replaced by Peggy Johnson. Growth continued and in 1981 the library moved into larger quarters next to the Sanctuary at the Fullerton site. In the same year, Wini Fuller became the church librarian and was then succeeded by Gretchen Oh in 1984. Gretchen retired in 2007 and Jennifer So and Val Wray are the current librarians. The library moved into the Commons building in 2010.

In the ensuing years, the pressure to expand and adapt to changing needs has never lessened. The Christian publishing market has expanded rapidly to cover a much wider range of subjects and types, and extensive weeding has been required over the years to keep the library book collection relevant and up-to-date. The evolution of non-print media has moved the library beyond LP records and cassette tapes, to CD’s, DVD’s, and now sermons on-line. The circulation system and collection were first computerized in 1989, and today the library catalog is completely electronic, accessible to the congregation on the church website.