Library Management as Pastoral Care

A distinctive management trait of a theological library is the element of pastoral care. Kiger offers three themes of pastoral care within theological library management: a non-anxious presence for those in need, compassion informed by the pain of loss and change, and a contemplative criticism to focus on human flourishing. Library management, seen as pastoral care, challenges the hierarchies of organizations and seeks to humanize the workflow of the library by directing attention to human flourishing. In focusing on people and their needs, the library provides space for transcendence in a world that is often overly concerned with immanence.