2020 Conference

The 2020 ECLA Annual Conference is going to be the most unique, never before done, high tech, futuristic conference ever seen! We are celebrating 50 years as an organization and we really wanted to make this a special event. It will certainly be memorable. You may already be guessing that due to our current situation of being in the midst of a pandemic, we do not feel like we can safely hold an in-person conference with upwards of 100 librarians and book lovers in October 2020.

We can however have an online conference that will be full of information and resources. We are all learning to do things a bit differently these days. So, if you have any ideas to help us plan this online event or would like to contribute, please let us know. We will be updating you with more about what this event might look like as we go along. In the meantime, please stay safe and let us know if we can help you in any way.

Join us in celebrating the annual ECLA Conference

Date: October, National Church Library Month

Location: Your own home via the internet

Registration Fees:

$20 Individual or Church conference fee which includes annual membership
Membership will be valid until September 30, 2021

What’s on the conference schedule?

Speakers

“Companions for the Journey”

Lynn Austin
Lynn’s “Bucket List” bicycling adventure in Europe last year taught her some important lessons about our spiritual journey together as the Body of Christ. Now more than ever, we need those lessons as we journey together through uncertain times.

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and two grandchildren, and make their home in western Michigan.

“Booktalking: Just a Little Piece of the Pie”

Ceil Carey

Learn some simple book talking techniques to tempt your audience into new and exciting reading choices.

Ceil Carey is a retired public and school librarian who is really obsessed with reading. She has led a book discussion for twenty years, serves on her local library board and reads an excessive amount of books each year! She loves to share ideas with other librarians and book lovers.

“When Caregivers Need Care”

Julie-Allyson Ieron

November is National Caregiver Month. As we look toward that date this year, ECLA asked author, caregiver, minister to senior adults, and elder-companion Julie-Allyson Ieron to suggest ways we can uplift exhausted caregivers in this post-COVID world. Julie will discuss current resources for ministry to family and professional caregivers. And she’ll present a biblical mandate for nurturing those who nurture others.

Julie-Allyson Ieron has spent three decades in Christian publishing as the author of more than 40 books, and as a writing coach and conference speaker for women’s and publishing events. Today she serves with her mom Joy as co-worship minister and choir director for a congregation of senior adults and is on a patient advisory council for her local hospital.

“Fiction Reviews in a Pandemic”

Chris Jager

Even if you cannot meet face to face, book reviews can be shared. I have a wonderful list of new titles for you to enjoy and to add to your library shelves.

Chris Jager stumbled on the perfect job and over 23 years later is still enjoying working at Baker Book House., Grand Rapids, MI. She has always been a reader and now shares that love with readers every day. She also loves to spend time with her family and 2 funny dogs.

“Weary in Well-Doing: Pursuing God’s Purposes When You’re Exhausted”

Maggie Rowe

Have we ever experienced a year like 2020?! We are living in an age of great challenges to both our mental and physical health, and many are exhausted by the unprecedented demands of these days. Maggie Wallem Rowe, author of This Life We Share, offers three positive principles to build on as you continue to pursue the plans and purposes of God for your life in this time of global pandemic.

Maggie Wallem Rowe is a national speaker, dramatist, blogger, and author whose passion is to connect people to God and each other. She has contributed to 10 books including numerous devotional Bibles. A frequent speaker at conferences both in the US and abroad, Maggie holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wheaton College (Illinois) in communication and biblical studies. Her first book, This Life We Share: Journeying Well with God and Others”(NavPress) released in May. Maggie and her pastor-husband, Mike, live in the mountains of western North Carolina and are the parents of three adult children and five grandchildren. Visit her at www.Maggie Rowe.com.

“Reading the Classics in a Diverse World”

Christy and Tinna

“In the age of COVID homeschool numbers are rising and many curricula rely heavily on classic literature. Learn how to pair these well-known classics with other well-written diverse stories and how to have conversations around them which help young people think more expansively about the human experience in all its diversity.

Christy is a school librarian working with fifth and sixth graders in Manassas, VA where she lives with her husband and two sons. Tinna is a youth librarian working at a public library in Mt. Pleasant, MI. She lives nearby with her husband and daughter.

Author book talks

Authors Lynn Austin, Julie-Allyson Ieron, Bill Meyers, Michele Phoenix, Allie Pleiter will all share the makings of their most recent books.

Workshops

“The Top Six of Book Repair”

Demco

Hinges, covers, spines, and pages—oh, my! These videos will show you how to repair your much-loved books that suffered breaks and tears.

Making It Work: A Guided Tour of a Church Library”

Virtual Library Tours with Debbie & Denise

Come visit with us to learn how we started and what we have learned as librarians for a church family. We will take you on a tour of the library at Berean Baptist Church in Portage, MI and share with you:

How we started—

Our goals for our patrons
The layout of our facility
Ideas we used for our church families during COVID
Promotional ideas we are trying & the results
Ways we minister to the community
Our latest approach to the use of our library at home and at church.

Finally, we will give you a brief description of the classification of our books, along with some promotional ideas. So grab your favorite drink and enjoy a virtual visit with one church that is making a difference!

Roundtable Discussions

Librarians’ Roundtable Zoom Discussions

Saturdays at 10:30 October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Church librarians will ZOOM in October with new ideas, concern, and questions. Topics discussed will be library issues, post-pandemic re-opening ideas , cataloging, and of course, the sharing of good books. You may share ideas, pose questions, or just tune in. If you would like to join the roundtable email eclapresident.com and you will be sent an invitation with the link. Moderated by Cathy Askeland, The Compass Church, Bolingbrook, IL

4 the World
Continuing our tradition of giving

4 the World Resource Distributors is an ECLA affiliate which collects books for pastors, Bible colleges, and seminary libraries in all parts of the world.
Even though our conference will be virtual, you may still donate books to this ministry by bringing your donations to:

College Church
332 E. Seminary Ave.
Wheaton any day in October.
Label your box/or bag 4 the World/Lisa Kern

Books needed:

Bible commentaries, especially from a conservative evangelical viewpoint. This can be single-volume commentaries or sets, even if the sets are incomplete. This is the #1 request from schools, so all conservative evangelical commentaries are useful.
Any books dealing with Biblical languages such as Greek or Hebrew
Bible reference (dictionaries, concordances, handbooks, etc.)
Theology
Biblical Studies
General books on Christian living, provided they are not too “American” and would be useful in other cultures
Bibles of any kind, any translation, including New Testaments and Scripture portions
Books don’t have to be new, but should be intact and in usable condition.

**Please do not send political books, financial books, daily devotionals, Sunday school materials, fiction, children’s books, electronic media.**