Websites listed below are companies and organizations which provide resources for information of interest to congregational librarians. CSLA Institutional Members are noted, and their support of CSLA is greatly appreciated.
To request that your website be listed on this page, or to report a broken or outdated link, please contact Judith Janzen, our Office Administrator. All links on this page will open the linked website in a new browser window. To return to this page, please close the new browser window.
American Bible Society – The mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford. The web site has a “search the Bible” feature by book and keyword, and well as other useful resources.
The Congregational Resource Guide – Includes annotations and other information about more than 500 excellent resources for congregational resources. Originally developed by the Alban Institute, this site has moved to the Indianapolis Center for Congregations and is being remodeled (undergoing construction.)
Dewey Decimal Classification – DDC23 and Abridged 15 may be purchased from OCLC. The 200 Religion Class, an inexpensive reprinting of this section of the complete DDC23, is listed only on the order form. While the WebDewey online subscription service is continuously updated (instead of every 7 years for the printed manuals) its high annual cost makes it unaffordable for most small libraries.
ISBN Converter – Library of Congress supplies one of several converters between 10- and 13-digit numbers for the same items
Libraries in Churches – Blog by Shawn Brower, who established LINC-L email discussion list for church libraries in 2002. New articles posted regularly, searchable LINC-L archives, other links of interest.
Library of Congress MARC21 Format for Bibliographic Data – For libraries with online catalogs which store records in MARC format, this site provides up-to-date information on the content of each field, along with examples.
Library of Congress Online Catalog – Search for descriptions of library materials, subject headings, Dewey and LC classifications assigned, and MARC coding for individual titles.
libraries.org: a directory of libraries throughout the world (formerly known as LIB-WEB-CATS) – Searches by type of library can be limited to church, synagogue, or theology libraries. Establishing a free account provides access to advanced searching capabilities, including searches by the names of current and former library automation systems. If your library is not listed, please establish a free account and add it.
OCLC Classify – An experimental service which lists the most frequently assigned Dewey and LC classification numbers for books, DVDs, CDs, and other types of material in the OCLC database. Searchable by ISBN, ISSN, UPC, OCLC number, author and/or title, or FAST subject heading
Selection Sources for Congregational Libraries – Ellen Bosman’s site with links to library associations, software for running a library, and reviews of print and electronic sources designed to aid in library purchasing.
Wabash Center’s Internet Guide to Religion – A selective, annotated guide to a wide variety of electronic resources of interest to those who are studying or teaching religion and theology at the undergraduate or graduate level. A “Top Site” designation leads to the best resources as quickly as possible. Websites, journal articles, e-texts, images, bibliographies, and course syllabi may be searched.
Worldcat – This database provides simultaneously searching of the collections of thousands of libraries around the world.