Book Launch: Theological Libraries in the UK & Ireland

You are warmly invited to celebrate the publication of Theological Libraries in the UK & Ireland, edited by Christine Love-Rodgers, Hannie Riley & Gudrun Warren, published by Books@Atla Open Press, 2026.

Join us for a panel conversation with some of the volume’s contributors in New College’s Martin Hall, followed by a drinks reception in the Rainy Hall.

This is a joint event with the History of Christianity seminar series and Scottish Network for Religion and Literature, sponsored by the Library & University Collections.

Before the event, you are invited to view a display from the New College Archives and Special Collections highlighting the history of New College Library and New College Library’s connections with ABTAPL. The display will be held in the Funk Reading Room, New College Library from 3pm.

• Joy Conkey, BEd., MSc., MCLIP, is librarian of the Gamble Library, Union Theological College, Belfast. She has been librarian there for seven years, previously serving as deputy librarian since 2013. Joy completed a master degree in information and library studies at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and won the CILIPS Annual Student Award for being the highest achieving information and library studies student in Scotland. She became a chartered librarian in 2016 and has subsequently revalidated several times. From 2016 to 2019, Joy served as secretary of the CILIP Ireland Committee.
• Carlos Garcia-Jane is a librarian at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, a freelance indexer, and the bibliographer of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. He holds two master degrees – MScEcon in Information and Library Studies (Aberystwyth University) and MA Buddhist Studies (University of South Wales) – and is currently a PhD candidate in Buddhist Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Carlos is also the reviews editor of the Buddhist Studies Review and sits on the board of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies. His previous research includes a survey of Buddhist Libraries in the UK and a history of Buddhist textual practices and of reading habits of contemporary Buddhists.
• Christine Love-Rodgers, MA, MA, FCLIP, SFHEA, is College Lead for Library Academic Support for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science at the University of Edinburgh. For the last twenty years, she has also been the academic support librarian for the School of Divinity at New College Library, Edinburgh. She is currently deputy chair of the Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries (ABTAPL). Christine has served as a Trustee of CILIP Scotland and is a long time mentor for CILIP Professional registration.
• Hannie Riley is the chair of the Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries and has been working for the University of Oxford, UK since 2006, starting in the Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library and then at Wycliffe Hall as the college librarian. Hannie is also the theology representative of the Committee of College Librarians for the University of Oxford and the vice-president of BETH. Hannie holds an MSc in library science from City University of London, an MA in education, and a BA in psychology from Kyungnam University, South Korea.

In line with fire safety regulations attendees using a wheelchair must be able to self-transfer to an evac chair in order to safely evacuate the building.

This venue is fully accessible however, if you require disabled access, please email [email protected] so that we can ensure we accommodate this.

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Host or Publisher School of Divinity