Resource Centers

The needs and resources of an effective resource center will be different all over the world. Each unit will be unique.

The materials in the following list are provided to each new meetinghouse. In consultation with the bishop, the Sunday School president and the ward resource center specialist should determine if other materials are needed and will fit in the available space.

These materials will enhance and support learning and teaching in the classroom as well as in the home and family.

Resource Center Materials

The ward resource center specialist helps leaders, teachers, and families learn how to use the materials, supplies, and equipment that are available in the resource center (see General Handbook, 13.7.2). To do this, consider organizing your efforts around the following ongoing activities.

Clean

With the help of the bishopric and organization and quorum leaders, regularly clean out and discard unused or unauthorized materials. Make sure that you keep the materials in the resource center organized and accessible. Only books and audiovisual materials produced and distributed by the Church may be stored in and circulated from the resource center. Commercially produced books and materials, even if authored or created by Church members, are not to be included in the resource center.

Choose

Information about the materials available from the Church for resource centers can be found on the Resource Center Materials list.

Catalog

Organize the material in the resource center so it is easy to find. A list of available materials for individuals and families may be helpful. In larger wards, you may consider asking the bishopric to call one or more assistants to help with compiling this list. You should also use a simple system to keep track of materials that have been borrowed by members.

Celebrate

Find appropriate ways to publicize the availability of the materials in the resource center. Be creative. You could write occasional articles in the ward newsletter or hold regular “open houses” where you invite families or organizations from the ward to visit the resource center to learn about the resources there. A systematic invitation list would quickly help every ward member know what is available to borrow from the resource center. Where members have access to the internet, you may want to offer help to teachers and families in learning how to use the wonderful resources available through Church websites.

With the help of the bishopric and organization and quorum leaders, regularly clean out the resource center and discard unused or unauthorized materials. Make sure that you keep the materials in the resource center organized and accessible. Only books and audiovisual materials produced and distributed by the Church may be stored in and circulated from the resource center.

Acquiring New Materials

Resource centers provide resources to “help members learn and teach the gospel. The ward Sunday School president oversees the resource center” (General Handbook, 13.7.2).

Requests for purchasing new materials and equipment should be based on the above paragraph and on the evaluation of materials presently available in the resource center, as well as on evaluation of new materials that are listed in the Resource Center Materials list or that are available through Church distribution centers. In large wards, several copies of certain items may be needed to meet the demand of multiple classes studying the same topic, as well as for use by individuals and families in the home. For more information about the items listed in the Resource Center Materials, visit store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Regarding financing for resource centers, “the Sunday School president consults with the resource center specialist to determine if an annual budget is needed for the resource center. He then makes a recommendation to the bishopric” (General Handbook, 13.7.2).

Discarding Materials

Materials that are no longer needed or that should not be stored in the resource center should be discarded. More specifically:

• Resource center specialists periodically evaluate materials, repairing or replacing damaged items and discarding those that are outdated or no longer useful.
• Church magazines need not be kept longer than 10 years after they are published, though it may be helpful to keep conference issues for a longer period. If online access to Church magazines is readily available to members in your area, magazines may not need to be kept in the resource center at all or the length of time they are kept may be shortened.
• If Church records that have potential historical value are stored in the resource center, they should be given to the stake clerk. He will make the appropriate contacts to determine what to do with these records.
• Audio and video materials that are not approved for distribution through Church distribution centers, including animated scripture videocassettes, may not be stored in or circulated from resource centers.
• Materials that may have been illegally copied or duplicated must not be kept in resource centers.
• Any items that are not included in the Resource Center Materials list or that are not available in Church distribution centers should be discarded.
• Unapproved pictures, talks, worksheets, and other teaching resources that have been donated to the resource center should be discarded.
• Filmstrips, filmstrip projectors, overhead projectors, and audio or video cassettes (unless they are being used by members) should be discarded.

Items that have been approved for storage in resource centers but are no longer needed may be donated to other resource centers. Illegally copied or duplicated materials should be destroyed. Other materials may be offered to ward or branch members, public libraries, Deseret Industries, or other charitable organizations.

Consult “Resource Center,” section 13.7.2 of the General Handbook.

Ward resource center specialists are called by a member of the bishopric and trained by a member of the ward Sunday School presidency. Additional training for resource center specialists can be provided by the stake Sunday School presidency.

Open houses may be held to help members become familiar with materials, equipment, and services that are available. Resource center specialists may publicize resources, schedules, and ideas in sacrament meeting bulletins, in ward newsletters, or on bulletin boards. In areas of the Church where members have access to the internet, resource center specialists may want to help members become familiar with resources and materials on Church websites that can be used to improve learning and teaching in the Church and in the home.

Commercially produced books and materials, even if authored or created by Church members, are not to be included in the resource center. Only books and audiovisual materials produced and distributed by the Church may be stored in and circulated from the resource center.

No. Equipment and materials that are no longer used by ward members should be discarded. For further instructions, see the “Procedures for Adding and Discarding Materials” section on this web page.

“Wards that share a meetinghouse also share the resource center. Seminary and institute classes and family history centers share the resource center with the wards” (General Handbook, 13.7.2).

“The resource center specialist should attend sacrament meeting each week and other Sunday meetings regularly. If necessary, the bishopric may call an assistant to the specialist” (General Handbook, 13.7.2). If there is not adequate time to assist teachers between meetings, then resource center specialists should consider opening the resource center prior to the meeting block or during one or more evenings of the week. In multiward buildings, resource center specialists from one ward may also help staff the resource center during the meeting time of another ward.

Resource center specialists and the ward Sunday School president should counsel together regarding resource center needs. The Sunday School president recommends to the bishopric how to use the ward budget allowance funds allocated for the resource center.