Mission
The Owen Memorial Library of First Presbyterian Church is a mission of the church which provides the congregation, church leaders, teachers of children and adults, and other interested persons with resources for learning, teaching, examining, researching, and enjoying materials related to the Christian faith. 
The library promotes the pursuit of greater knowledge and understanding to glorify and serve God, to grow in our devotion and love for Jesus Christ, and to enlarge our awareness and appreciation of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Purpose
First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge has established the Owen Memorial Library to provide interested persons with access to sources of knowledge that contributes to the growth and development of their Christian lives, goals, and spirituality. To that end, the church library collects resources on various topics related to Christianity in various forms of media, and facilitates and promotes their use.
Collection Policy
In order to achieve its goals, the Church maintains a varied collection. The primary media type is printed items: books (hardback and soft cover, monograph and series), magazines, and pamphlets. Also included are videotapes, audiotapes, and other video/audio media as may be available and useful.
The library contains materials which are of interest to and appropriate for all age groups and for all stages of Christian growth.
The library collection consists of items related to the Christian faith and includes Bibles in various versions, Christian reference guides, Bible commentaries, and materials on topics including theology, church history, devotionals, creeds, ethics and morality, Christian living (including such topics as marriage, family life, raising children), sermons, literature, art and music. Works of Christian fiction and biographies/autobiographies with a Christian focus are included.
For works of theology, commentaries, and Christian living, emphasis is conservative evangelical and Reformed in terms of doctrinal stance. Less emphasis is placed on items outside of the Reformed tradition.
The library purchases from its budget new items in various forms of media on topics related to Christianity. Donated items are also considered for inclusion in the collection. A donated item will be added to the library collection based on its subject matter and physical condition.
Library materials are deemed appropriate as they fit the mission of First Presbyterian Church by the Adult Christian Education Ministry Team and Senior Pastor.
Dr. John W. Melton Collection
Anne McElveen has graciously donated books from her late father’s library to the church. Anne’s father, Dr. John Melton, served as pastor of First Presbyterian Church from 1945 until 1970. Dr. Melton was a remarkable leader, a beloved minister, and a Christian scholar. While he is remembered fondly by many in our congregation, every person who is currently associated with First Presbyterian is a beneficiary of his dedication and talents.
We are very glad to have these wonderful books, which have now been processed for check out. Several members of the congregation have already found and used them. The books in the Melton collection are located at the far end of the shelving behind the library desk.
Here is a “sampler” of items you may want to use in the library, or check out:
The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop This book is a riveting hour-by-hour account of the Last Supper through the death of Christ on the cross.
In God We Trust: The Religious Beliefs and Ideas of the American Founding Fathers by Norman Cousins
The Founding Fathers were much more devout than many modern-day history textbooks portray them. Read in this book about the faith and beliefs of these leaders and the profound impact they had on the founding of our nation. Includes Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and others.
J.B.: A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish
This is a modern-day play about Job. It addresses the question of suffering for the generation of the 20th century, in which human suffering has seemed especially brutal and senseless. What is the justification for the “injustice of the universe?”
Beyond Our Selves: A Woman’s Pilgrimage in Faith by Catherine Marshall