The universe is an infinite library, the Argentine writer and librarian J.L. Borges once postulated in a famous short story.
If so, our little corner of the cosmos has expanded a bit with the opening in January of a 5,000-volume library at St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church.
The new Renouf/Nelson library specializes in theological and historical works, but also includes fiction, philosophy and art books, as well as periodicals and videos.
With a mission to encourage spiritual development and intellectual growth in the parish and community, the library — which is open to the public — represents years of volunteer work from a group of dedicated parishioners.
"I'm terribly proud of this place. It's a real act of community spirit," said St. Philip's parishioner and library committee member Gail Freyer. "It's a place of priceless information."
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Although the church had a small lending library for years, usually in a corner of a multipurpose room, this is the first real library at St. Philip's, Freyer said. It was paid for entirely with donations; none of it was funded by the church budget, she added.
Architects, librarians and artists were among the parishioners who contributed to renovating the space and creating the library, which was sprinkled with holy water in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 14.
The Renouf/Nelson library has a theological collection "approaching the smaller seminaries'," committee member Bruce Jenks said on a recent morning, picking out a thick volume of "The New Interpreter's Bible," a set of theological commentaries on the Scriptures.
"Those are the kinds of things most church libraries don't have," Jenks said.
And there's more. Browsing the shelves, library-goers can find a surprisingly diverse mix of titles, from rare Anglican prayer books to works on Islam and existentialism, to novels such as "The Minister's Wooing" and "The Poisonwood Bible."
There are special collections in areas such as Benedictine spirituality, Anglican theological education and American Indian spirituality, all of them catalogued according to the Library of Congress system.
Though small, the library has a comfortable, cloistered, Old World feel. There are deep leather chairs, dark wood bookshelves, a heavy marble table and a series of arched, stained-glass windows with images from biblical parables. Track lights above highlight titles on books' spines.
"The ambiance is supposed to be like a classical historical library feeling, like a cathedral library in England," said Jenks.
The facility also boasts new "hearing loop technology" that allows sounds to be transmitted directly to a wireless receiver, or T-coil, in a hearing aid. It's another reason the library has become a comfortable and inclusive place for the church to hold meetings.
The library "is symbolic of how important our continued learning and education is for our members. It's a beautiful spot. It makes me think of lovely medieval libraries," said the Rev. Megan Traquair, one of three associate rectors at St. Philip's. "It's really blossoming into its promise."
If you go
St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church is located at 4440 N. Campbell Ave., at Campbell and River. The Renouf/Nelson library is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Saturday. A link to the library Web site and its catalogue is at www.stphilipstucson.org.
