HILLSPEAKING
from The Anglican Digest 

LENT A.D. 2003

LAST YEAR SPEAK’s Board of Trustees adopted a policy to enhance the usefulness and accessibility of both Operation Pass Along (with its 10,000 to 12,000 volumes) and the Howard Lane Foland Library (with its 12,000+ volumes).

  Heretofore, the Library’s books have been available only on the premises. While there are comfortable study areas (the Writer’s Loft affords a magnificent, but perhaps distracting, view of the Ozarks all the way into Missouri), the Library’s location pretty well rules out its use by, say, a scholar in Alaska or one in New York City. We welcome and cherish visitors, but Hillspeak is not an easy place to visit. Its off-the-beaten path location has limited the Library to minimal use as a source to the “arts and knowledge” of the Church.

  The availability of its contents by mail on a rental basis now gives that scholar in Alaska as much accessibility as if he had traveled some 4,000 miles to sit in the Writer’s Loft to research his subject—and he doesn’t have to travel by plane, ferryboat or dog sled to do it.

  Availability of books in Operation Pass Along depends solely upon the good will of those who donate their books to it. If a book is not on Pass Along shelves at the time of requesting, the request is filed and the requester notified when the book becomes available. Ofttimes, but not always, the requested book may be in the Foland Library.

  This new policy allows us to offer to rent the book for a stipulated time. Rental rates are nominal, but partly because the Library, due to its physical size, holds only one volume of each title, a substantial, refundable deposit will be required. The details as to rent and deposit will be sent each requester for approval beforehand and the book sent upon receipt of the deposit.

  Requests for books from Operation Pass Along will be checked against the Library holdings and the requester offered the chance to rent the book. Requests to the Library to rent a book will be checked against Pass Along holdings. If the book is available, it will be sent to the requester upon receipt of postage and handling charges as has been the practice for Pass Along since 1972.

  Inquiries about the availability of books from either Operation Pass Along or the Howard Lane Foland Library may be sent by snail mail (805 County Road 102, Eureka Springs AR 72632-9705) or e-mail (speak@speakinc.org ).

  We promise to promptly answer all inquiries where we can, and, suggest another source if we do not have the book in Pass Along or in the Library.