Parish Libraries

Christians have always been "people of the book." This love and encouragement of reading is extended beyond Scripture to include many books that inspire, challenge, expand and comfort people. The Ann S. Ball Resource Center and the Ivolene A.O. Rowen Library for Children and Youth are building sets of resources that will do these things for our parish.

The Adult library collection is made up of nearly 1000 titles- books, visual and audio material. In the regular collection, we have books of prayers and books about how to pray, books on theology and spirituality, books about the Episcopal Church, and books about other denominations and religions. Parishioners involved in Bible studies, EFM, or exploration of their personal lives and ministries will find material to support their efforts. Those searching for an interesting story can discover novels whose authors write with a "sanctified imagination.” The Library also includes a collection of feature films and related study materials for the growing group of those who use the visual media as points of departure in their search for presentation of spiritual truths in today’s world.

The Archives portion of the Ball collection is filled with unique historical documents, items and pictures that portray and describe the parish’s 100+ year history. Genealogists and Jackson-area historians will find treasures here.

The Easy collection is designed for the youngest children, from birth to around age 8 or 9 (3rd grade or so). It has books that are either very simple to read, or simple to understand or enjoy when read aloud by an older reader to a child. Retellings of Bible stories, prayers and stories of families are found in this collection. Many of the items are board books that are easily handled by small children.

The Children’s collection is aimed at the school-age student, grades 3 through 6, or about ages 8 to 12. The fiction items include both simple stories and chapter books; there are also DVDs and videos of interest to this age group. The non-fiction collection is mostly on Christian or religious topics, but also includes other useful titles. This collection represents the majority of the library’s holdings.

The J2A collection is intended for people from around age 12 through adult. The Rite 13 and J2A students are encouraged to look over the growing group of items available here. There are DVDs, CDs, cassettes and videos in the collection. We welcome suggestions from youth and their advisors for new items to add to the music, visual or book collections. Scope out the novels and helpful non-fiction we have.

The P&T collection, housed in the Rowen collection, is composed of material appropriate for use by parents, grandparents, and Christian educators, and contains Bible study material, activities for children’s Sunday School classes, Vacation Bible School resources, and parent/child items to be shared together.

All St. Paul’s parishioners - adults, too! – are encouraged to become familiar with the materials in the Rowen collections. There may be books you would love to read to children, read for your own curiosity or enjoyment, or share with others in their search for what is good to read.

Contact the church office at 517-787-3370 for more information.