This summer, in honor of our 25th anniversary, we are sharing a bit more about who we are. Each week you will meet an Accordance employee, learn about that individual’s favorite works, and read a brief personal message. We hope you find these enjoyable and beneficial.
Meet Mark Allison
Bio
Mark Allison has been an Accordance Text Developer for more than 10 years and an Accordance user since 2002. He’s also in charge of the Help documentation and takes care of error correction reports that users submit.
Mark learned basic programming on a Processor Technologies SOL-20 computer in 1979. He says he started using Macintosh computers in 1990 “before they were cool.”
In addition to Mark’s computer skills, he also holds an undergraduate degree in Missiology (Toccoa Falls College), as well as MA degrees in Anthropology (University of Georgia) and Theological Studies (Liberty University). He and his wife, Lu, have four kids—Sophia, Lydia, Evangeline, and Levi. They currently live in Flowery Branch, Georgia. He also serves as the director of Covenant Life School of Ministry, a 3-year leadership school for lay leaders.
A Love for Libraries—Physical & Digital
My parents were missionaries in the Middle East until I was about 10 years old. We left Beirut when the fighting started in 1972, and our family ended up at Toccoa Falls College, where my father taught for the next 35 years.
We lived on campus, and some of my fondest memories were spending long summer days in the school library, poring over what seemed like an infinite variety of books. I’ve spent a lot of time in libraries over the years, and they’ve always been a source of wonder to me.
That may be one of the reasons that I love working with Accordance. It still amazes me that I can have a well-stocked seminary library on my iPhone. I remember my parents having to pack our belongings as we travelled to and from the Middle East. We had to be very frugal with our packing, and not all my father’s books made the trip.
That’s not a problem any more, and that’s why the Theological Journal Library is one of my favorite resources. I’ve used it heavily over the years. If these journals were printed volumes, they would be dog-eared by now.
The Theological Journal Library
The advantage of having the Theological Journal Library available in an electronic format is clear. Digital media has many advantages over print, but sometimes there are things you can do with a digital format that you simply can’t do with the printed page.
Think about it. Many of these journals are only to be found in the largest seminary libraries. Tracing the thread of scholarly conversation from one printed volume to another would be difficult at best, even with a yearly index; but searching the Accordance module is done with lightning speed, even on an iPad or iPhone.
Imagine the shelf space that would be required to hold the volumes of more than 30 different journals. Bibliotheca Sacra alone includes 169 volumes, beginning with volume 1 in 1844! In short, having this module gives me more research flexibility than even the best libraries can provide. I can’t imagine doing research without it.
Theological Journal Library 16 – Volumes through 2012
Regular Price $299.90