Mission
We are in the process of writing formal mission and vision statements. We expect the statements to reflect Beth El's overall mission and vision statements.

Book Collection
The current size of the collection is approximately 2,000 books.
The collection is divided into adult materials, children's books, and periodicals. The adult materials are physically shelved as reference books, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and new books. (Over-sized materials are interfiled sideways if needed.) The children's collection consists of picture books, holiday books, juvenile fiction, juvenile non-fiction, and juvenile biography.

Cataloging System
The cataloging system in current use is the Weine Classification System for Judaica Libraries, published by the Association of Jewish Libraries. It is a modified Dewey Decimal System.
We have been using a standard card catalog, with author, title, and subject cards interfiled. We also maintain a shelf-list, which is an inventory of the collection in the order in which the books appear on the shelf.

Circulation
The book borrowing process is basically self-service. Please see the FAQ section of this website for the categories of authorized borrowers.

• The reader locates the book from the call number on the catalog card.The reader writes her/his name and address or phone number on the book card from the pocket inside the book and then leaves the card in the designated container. Other materials are borrowed in the same way with materials cards in pockets attached to the material itself.

• On the Sabbath and holidays, when writing is not permitted in the synagogue, the reader finds her/his patron card which is kept in the library in the file box and rather than writing her/his information – uses a paper clip to clip the patron and book cards together leaving the clipped cards in the designated container; please see the FAQ section of this website for more details. S/He places a pre-stamped date-due card in the pocket of the book.

• All books circulate for up to three weeks, always due on a Sunday There are no fines. Overdue reminders are sent by mail and/or email periodically.

•   Books are returned to the designated box labeled “Library Book Return” just to the right of the Library door in the hallway.

• Only circulating materials may be borrowed.   Materials identified as “Reference” and periodicals must stay in the Library.

Book Return
There is a labeled “Library Book Return” box located in the hallway just to the right of the Library door as one enters.

Reference
Reference works do not circulate and are clearly stamped as reference and are shelved together on the book stacks to the left as you enter the Library. Please see the list in the Reference section of this website. We are in the process of adding to the Reference collection; the list will be updated when new materials go on the reference shelves.

Periodicals
Periodicals do not circulate. If you would like to have a photocopy of an article we are hoping to make that possible; please watch this space for the details in the future. For now, please let us know the article you would like by sending an email to library@bethelmc.org. Please see the Periodical section of this website for current subscriptions. More subscriptions are in process; when new subscriptions are added the list will be updated.