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Curricula, VBS kits and Bible studies: how to survey what exists, judge it and keep only what your congregation will use.
01The three shelves
Every entry in this catalogue hangs on one of three shelves.
{{figure:ministry-collections|4x3|Open books and craft supplies sorted by two volunteers on a meeting room table.}}
[Ministry collections](/collections/) Shelf A
Curricula, VBS kits and Bible studies: how to survey what exists, judge it and keep only what your congregation will use.
{{figure:sharing-networks|4x3|Two volunteers carry a storage bin across a church parking lot on a sunny morning.}}
[Sharing and lending](/sharing/) Shelf B
Regional lending, renewal routines and volunteer duties: how materials travel between neighboring congregations.
{{figure:cataloging-basics|4x3|Hands shelving hardcover books on wooden shelves in a quiet church room.}}
[Cataloging and organizing](/cataloging/) Shelf C
Simple cataloging, subject headings and software habits for the smallest library teams.
02Ministry collections
Five entries on what belongs on the shelf and how to choose it.
[What a church resource center does](/collections/about-center/) COL·01
Lending, advising and connecting: what a resource center actually does all week.
{{figure:about-center|3x2|Wooden shelves and a volunteer talking with a pastor inside a church library.}}
[How a church resource catalogue works](/collections/catalog-guide/) COL·02
Subjects, kits and browsing habits that help a volunteer find the way without a map.
{{figure:catalog-guide|3x2|A volunteer kneeling beside low shelves of books and plastic bins, browsing in daylight.}}
[Inside a synod resource center](/collections/tour-inside/) COL·03
Shelves, kits and the librarian's desk, walked through one room at a time.
{{figure:tour-inside|3x2|Narrow aisles of tall shelves with a small desk where a volunteer organizes materials.}}
[Choosing VBS kits for small churches](/collections/vbs-kits-small-churches/) COL·04
Cost, staffing, theology and theme: the four questions that narrow the kit shelf.
{{figure:vbs-kits-small-churches|3x2|Children painting simple crafts at a table while adult volunteers help them.}}
[Reviewing Bible study series](/collections/bible-study-reviews/) COL·05
Accuracy, age fit and leader support, checked before a series earns a place.
{{figure:bible-study-reviews|3x2|Adults studying open books together around a table in a fellowship hall.}}
03Sharing and lending
Six entries on moving materials and people between congregations.
[Lutheran resource networks and official sources](/sharing/links-directory/) SHR·01
The Lutheran networks and official pages a volunteer bookmarks once and reuses.
{{figure:links-directory|3x2|A pastor and a volunteer chatting at a wooden table surrounded by bookshelves.}}
[How resource center lending works](/sharing/rental-lending/) SHR·02
Loan periods, renewals, returns and care: the rules that keep shared kits alive.
{{figure:rental-lending|3x2|A volunteer hands a storage bin to another across a library counter.}}
[How congregations join a shared resource center](/sharing/member-join/) SHR·03
Membership steps, fees and shared duties behind a cooperative center.
{{figure:member-join|3x2|Church volunteers gathered around a table with coffee mugs, planning together.}}
[Contacting The Parish Shelf](/sharing/contact-page/) SHR·04
What to send, what to expect back, and the details that speed a helpful reply.
{{figure:contact-page|3x2|A volunteer answering a desk phone in a small church library surrounded by shelves.}}
[Lending kits between congregations](/sharing/kit-lending-between-churches/) SHR·05
Schedules, transport and cleaning when an expensive kit changes parishes.
{{figure:kit-lending-between-churches|3x2|Volunteers loading plastic storage bins into a van outside a small church.}}
[Sharing VBS volunteers and supplies](/sharing/vbs-volunteer-sharing/) SHR·06
Pooling volunteers, decorations and leftover supplies across small congregations.
{{figure:vbs-volunteer-sharing|3x2|Volunteers decorating a church classroom with paper streamers and craft materials.}}
04Cataloging and organizing
Four entries on keeping a small collection findable.
[RQM: catalogue software in plain words](/cataloging/rqm-software/) CAT·01
What resource management software records about titles, kits, loans and borrowers.
{{figure:rqm-software|3x2|A librarian at a wooden desk beside stacks of books, a laptop screen blurred.}}
[The subject map of a congregational collection](/cataloging/subjects-map/) CAT·02
How a subject map organizes Bible studies, mission topics and age-group materials.
{{figure:subjects-map|3x2|Rows of books and storage boxes organized by size and color on library shelves.}}
[Subject headings for volunteer searchers](/cataloging/subject-headings-explained/) CAT·03
Clear headings and keywords so families find materials without asking twice.
{{figure:subject-headings-explained|3x2|Hands sorting a pile of books into neat stacks on a library table in window light.}}
[What church library software tracks](/cataloging/church-library-software/) CAT·04
Catalog, barcodes and notices: the features a tiny team actually uses.
{{figure:church-library-software|3x2|A volunteer typing at a laptop beside neat stacks of books on a library desk.}}
05From the reading room
Working evenings at a congregational library, in three plates.
{{figure:home-3|16x9|A ministry team weighs curriculum titles around the library table.}}
{{figure:home-4|4x3|Notes and laptops share the worktable during a planning evening.}}
{{figure:home-5|3x2|Study books sorted and ready for the next lending request.}}
06The complete index
Every entry in the catalogue, shelf by shelf.