The ward Sunday School president recommends a member to serve as ward librarian. A member of the bishopric calls and sets apart the librarian. The Church Handbook of Instructions describes the responsibilities of the ward librarian as follows:

• Operate the library, analyze its effectiveness, and recommend improvements in its operation. Evaluate library physical facilities and suggest improvements. This may include suggesting how to maintain the security of library materials.
• Acquire and maintain library materials, equipment, and supplies that are approved by the bishopric.
• If only one ward meets in the building, prepare and recommend to the ward Sunday School president and the bishopric an annual budget for library materials.
• Oversee the inventory, storage, indexing, and checkout of library materials, including music. Evaluate library materials and discard those that are no longer needed. Know how to operate library equipment.
• Encourage members to use the library as a resource center for teaching the gospel at church and at home. Teach members how to use library materials and equipment.
• Suggest names of members whom the ward Sunday School president could recommend that the bishopric call as assistant ward librarians. Supervise assistant librarians and schedule their time in the library.
• Hold library staff meetings. Attend meetings that are conducted by the stake director of libraries and, if in a multiward building, the meetinghouse librarian.
  (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders [1998], 285.)

A member of the bishopric calls and sets aparts assistant ward librarians as needed. The ward Sunday School president recommends members to the bishopric to serve as assistant librarians. (See "Additional Responsibilities for Sunday School Presidencies," letter of President Boyd K. Packer, Dec. 5, 2003; see also Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 286.) The Church Handbook of Instructions states that assistant librarians serve under the direction of the ward librarian and they share many of the responsibilities of the ward librarian (see Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 286).

The responsibilities of the meetinghouse librarian are similar to those of the ward librarian. The meetinghouse librarian instructs and directs ward librarians in a multiward building. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 286.)

In multiward buildings, a meetinghouse library coordinating committee oversees the meetinghouse library. The committee consists of the Sunday School president from each ward in the building. The agent bishop assigns one of the Sunday School presidents to serve as chairman. The meetinghouse library coordinating committee recommends a person to serve as meetinghouse librarian. This person's recommendation should be approved by the bishops of all wards in the building. The meetinghouse librarian, ward librarians, and assistant librarians work under the direction of this committee. This committee, working with the meetinghouse librarian, discusses and correlates library policies, provides a schedule of hours, and recommends a meetinghouse library budget to each bishopric using the library. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 286; see also "Additional Responsibilities for Sunday School Presidencies," letter of President Boyd K. Packer, Dec. 5, 2003.)

As you work to fulfill your responsibilities as meetinghouse librarian, ward librarian, or assistant librarian, you may find the following suggestions useful.

1. Keep a current roster of all ward librarians and assistant librarians. Working in conjunction with other librarians using the meetinghouse library, the meetinghouse librarian could keep a current roster of all ward librarians and assistant librarians. (In a library used by only one ward, this roster could be kept by the ward librarian or an assistant librarian.) It is also helpful to show on the roster the times that librarians work in the meetinghouse library and the hours when the meetinghouse library will be open.

2. Keep a current roster of all ward teachers and instructors. Working in conjunction with the ward clerks, the meetinghouse librarian could keep a current roster of all ward teachers and instructors and the classes they teach and their room assignments. (In a library used by only one ward, this roster could be kept by the ward librarian or an assistant librarian.) Librarians can be supportive of teachers by knowing what lessons are to be taught in the classrooms and anticipating the needs of teachers. Librarians may offer suggestions to teachers of resource materials that might be used for upcoming lessons or prepare packets of materials that might be used in the classroom.

3. Suggest ways that library materials can be used as a teaching resource in the home. Librarians can become a resource for teaching in the home by knowing what library materials and resources can be used by parents and families to teach gospel lessons in the home. For example, librarians may offer suggestions to parents and families of materials such as pictures, videos, and other media that might be used in the home. Librarians might wish to hold meetinghouse library open houses or use ward bulletins to inform members of the types of library resources available for home use.

4. Ensure that the meetinghouse library has the materials in the most current "Library Start-Up Kit." The Library Start-Up Kit lists items that should be available in the meetinghouse library. For more information about the items listed in this kit, see the most recent version of the Church Materials Catalog or the Online Distribution Center. Local units may add to these materials depending on their needs.

Meetinghouse libraries in buildings that house non-English-speaking wards or branches should have library materials and resources available to meet the needs of teachers and parents in the language used for instruction in that ward or branch. It may be helpful to recommend that a member of the non-English-speaking ward or branch be called to serve as an assistant librarian in the meetinghouse library. This person should become familiar with the non-English materials used by the ward or branch. Members of the non-English-speaking wards should feel welcome to come to the meetinghouse library and see the materials available for their use. Remember that all members should be made to feel welcome in using the library resources and all are "fellowcitizens" and never treated as "strangers or foreigners" (Ephesians 2:19).

5. Provide leadership to ensure that the meetinghouse library functions properly and all librarians know their duties and responsibilities. Under the direction of the ward Sunday School presidencies and with assistance of the stake director of libraries, who is available to help train newly called meetinghouse librarians, ward librarians, and assistant librarians, the meetinghouse librarian could contact each ward librarian and arrange to provide "administrative and training meetings" (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 285; note also that in a library used by only one ward, this leadership could be provided by the ward librarian.) An example of an agenda item for this meeting could be the suggestion that all ward librarians consider arranging times other than Sunday when the library could be open for families to check out materials for use in family home evening or family scripture study. Another agenda item might be to make sure the library has sufficient help and that qualified and trained people are available to serve in the library.

Helps for teachers: To view a collection of ideas and suggestions designed to help, inspire, and motivate gospel teachers throughout the Church to improve the quality of teaching in classrooms and at home, visit "Helps for Teachers."