Sarum College Remains Upbeat about Bookshop Future

Despite having made their bookshop manager, Mark Clifford, redundant — as reported here yesterday — Sarum College remains upbeat about the bookshop’s future. In a press release issued just a few hours after yesterday’s post, the College outlines their hopes and vision for the shop under the new management of the College librarian, Jenny Monds (pictured right). The press release, which may be downloaded in full here (pdf, 72kb), mentions neither Mark’s former service to the College nor the circumstances that led to his sudden departure:

Jenny Monds To Steer Sarum College Bookshop on Course

Salisbury’s only independent bookshop specialising in theological books is set to thrive under the stewardship of Jenny Monds, who has been the head librarian at Sarum College in Salisbury’s Cathedral Close since 2001.

Joint direction of the bookshop, which holds some 9,000 titles in stock, and the library, with more than 35,000 books in its catalogue, will give Sarum College customers more choice.

“The Sarum College Library and the Bookshop both offer outstanding service combined with an exceptional selection of specialist books,” says Monds. “Readers throughout the country now will have greater access to any book they want to borrow or buy and will reap the benefits of the personal service for which Sarum College is renowned.”

During her tenure at the Sarum College library, Monds has completed the computerisation of the library catalogue, including 6,000 antiquarian titles, and made them available online. Her leadership has also boosted library membership significantly, particularly among external readers with no educational link to the College.

The bookshop provides texts for all Sarum College and Southern Theological and Educational Training Scheme (STETS) students and is a stockist for the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM). Alongside its academic collection, the shop stocks a wide selection of bibles, liturgy resources and church requisites, as well as greeting cards and gifts.

In addition to providing resources for Sarum College students, the library supports the Salisbury Diocese’s new Learning for Discipleship Programme with books and library membership for Foundation students. The library also offers membership to students from other Colleges in the region, such as Moorlands College in Christchurch.

Monds holds degrees in librarianship and classical studies and is a committee member of the Association of British Theological and Philosophical Librarians (ABTAPL), an organisation that supports those working in libraries containing theological, philosophical and related materials.