The Congregation Beth Torah Sader-Shimkin Library/Chapel is open whenever the building is open.

The library is staffed on Sunday mornings by Library Committee members, Laura Carroll and Laurie Finkelstein. The collection contains children and adult fiction and non-fiction, videotapes, audiotapes, CDs and DVDs.

The library's collection includes materials about Torah, holidays, spirituality, Jewish philosophy, women's studies, Jewish history and culture, Israeli history and culture, folktales, biographies, and the Holocaust. In additional to general reference materials, the Reference Collection also contains Torah commentaries and other materials to aid in the preparation of divrei Torah for Bar and Bat Mitzvah speeches.

Recommended check-out period is 2 weeks. Reference materials do not circulate.

Religious school classes, pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, visit the library during classtime on Sunday for book check-out, story time, book talks, or research.

The library offers the Birthday Book program where a family member may donate money to the library fund towards the purchase of a new children's book in honor of a child's birthday. A family may also donate to the library in honor of any special event such as consecration, a b'nai mitzvah or confirmation. The book will bear a nameplate with the child's name and special event. The child will be honored with the first check-out the book.

The library offers a reading program for religious school students, K-5th grade. Students read up to 4 books during the school year and complete a brief summary or acitivity associated with their book. The library gives a small award for each book read and a family Pancake Breakfast is held in May for all students and their families who have read 4 or more books.

The library welcomes acquisition requests from staff, faculty and congregants.

The library accepts donations of books, videos, CDs, DVDs, etc.in good condition, as space permits.

For additional information, please contact the Beth Torah Office at (913) 498-2212.