Following the Breadcrumbs to the Right Sources
Therese Terndrup, Research Librarian (Independent Contractor)
As a research librarian, I contribute to Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations by locating sources to support the paragraphs, sentences, or phrases quoted in the Meditations. By the time I review a Daily Meditations set, it’s nearly finished, thanks to the careful, creative, and insightful work of team members. My work includes basic proofreading: punctuation, spelling (especially names), grammar, capital letters, and citation style. I also review content; one of our key goals is accuracy, and so we work to match all quoted passages with their original sources.
Sacred and Secular
The more familiar you are with Richard’s books and presentations, the more you know his own wide-ranging studies. A month of “DMs,” as we call them, may include biblical scholarship, church history, stories from the life of saints, descriptions of mystics’ visions, and contemplative teachings from multiple faith traditions. To these religious sources, add names and ideas drawn from psychology, cosmology, life sciences, sociology, poetry, and other disciplines. There’s no question at all that Father Richard has been an avid reader and learner for decades!
The Search Begins
Given a title and an author, most books are findable. When I can’t get an in-hand copy, I’ll hunt for online page views via publishers, digital loans, Google Books, Google Scholar, and even look-inside from Amazon. Strong quotes have staying power; these search engines are invaluable for matching sentences to their sources. My other go-to virtual library is the Internet Archive, which lends an extensive online collection of scanned books (including some Rohr titles!), and keeps track of my borrowing history.
Every Click Comes with a Surprise
My most surprising discoveries come when I find that a common quotation isn’t authentic; familiar may not be fact. Once inspirational words become popular through social media, they may be strongly associated with people who never said them. Rather than leave a gap, I look for supporting text that we can confirm. My most satisfying searches end with stronger links within the mystical tradition, when I’m able to find the words of a saint sharing their unique insight into the life and love of God. And of course, I’m always looking for new titles to share with team members for future meditations!
For me, each week of Daily Meditations offers an opportunity for research, reflection, and discovery on multiple levels. I’m thankful that there’s always more to learn.