Jenny Monds, Head Librarian at Sarum College
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.
August 16, 2008 at 9:08 am
I thought I had better post a comment in response to the Sarum College situation – if only to let my friends and colleagues know that I am very much alive. The press release makes no mention of me or my years of commitment to the College, so I appear to have been airbrushed from its recent history.
I am somewhat puzzled by the tone of the press release. I was called to a meeting to inform me that my post was being made redundant because the College’s financial position had got worse (overdraft and losses) and that, if nobody bought the bookshop, the operation would be scaled back. I have a witness to this. A few weeks later, according to the release, everything has changed and the picture is positive and bright. So what’s changed, then?
For those of us who work in the book trade, the tone of this press release is unbelievable! We booksellers know that these are the least benign trading conditions we have ever known (26 years in my case) – apparently, Sarum, under a librarian with absolutely no commercial knowledge or experience, is set to rise above the general difficulties of the trade. Truly remarkable!
Watch this space!
August 16, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Sorry to hear this, Mark. you have certainly had a tough time at Sarum College. What is the matter with these people?
August 25, 2008 at 1:03 pm
[...] auspices of brothers Phil & Mark Brewer and with Sarum College Bookshop in meltdown — or not, depending on your point of view — it would be easy to become despondent over the state of [...]