A Study of Church Libraries in Australia

Abstract

Australia and the United States share many similarities, including British heritage, language, constitutional protection against state sponsored religion, and a predominately Christian population. This paper explores one outgrowth of our shared British heritage and religion, church libraries. The development of these unique libraries in each country is explored through a combination of approaches, including quantitative information and interviews. What are some of the characteristics of an Australian church library, and how are they similar or different from those in the U.S.? Library characteristics, such as collections, organization, and services provided are compared and contrasted to yield a picture of the current state of Australian church libraries.