Marian Library Collections Librarian
Marian Library Books
The Marian Library’s collections of published materials document Marian theology and devotion across diverse genres and time periods, from recent scholarly works to medieval manuscripts. The collection's scope is international and includes materials in more than 100 languages. Some areas of the collection have different borrowing and description practices, as noted below.
Most circulating and rare books can be found by using Advanced Search in the online catalog, entering your terms, selecting "Marian Library" in the Location field, and refining by date and/or language, as needed.
Collections
The Marian Library stacks hold the main collection of Marian Library books, with holdings from the nineteenth century to the present day. The bulk of the Marian Library's 100,000+ volumes are found here. The collection's scope includes art books, Catholic theology, lay devotion, liturgy, literature, and other books related to Mary.
The Bro. William Fackovec, S.M. Rare Book Collection holds over 6,200 books and manuscripts from 1473 onward. Collection strengths include books of hours, Catholic theology and devotional works printed in Europe, Reformation pamphlets and polemics, and devotional printing in Mexico.
While the bulk of the collection was produced between 1500-1800, there are representatives of medieval manuscripts, incunabula (books printed before 1500) as well as limited editions and artist's books from the 20th and 21st century. The primary languages of the collection are Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, and English.
The Clugnet Collection is a closed collection of approximately 6,500 rare books, manuscripts, periodicals, pamphlets, and ephemera on Marian shrines throughout the world, from the private collection of French bibliographer Léon Clugnet (1848-1920). The materials in this collection were published between the mid-16th century and 1918, with the bulk dating from 1800-1920.
The Marian Library maintains a circulating collection of children’s books in various languages. Some are in unusual formats such as coloring books, pop-up books, or books with puzzle pieces. They include works about the life of Mary, the rosary, Marian apparitions, and catechetical works. The collection has been used for research in Catholic education and children's literature.
The Marian Library's pamphlet collection contains over 10,000 pamphlets, programs, and other leaflets on Marian devotion and other popular topics. Print ephemera can be found throughout the Marian Library's collections, but the pamphlet collection is cataloged on an individual level, albeit with minimal description. Some examples of novena pamphlets have been digitized in the eCommons Novena Collection.
The Marian Library contains periodicals in various languages focused on Marian theology, apparitions, shrines, and religious movements throughout the world, as well as academic journals supporting Marian studies in religion, art, and related topics. While the library maintains subscriptions to some titles, the majority of titles are no longer published and serve as documentation of theological and popular religious perspectives on Mary, from the Vatican to local shrines.
Marian Library publications past and present can be found online through the University of Dayton's institutional repository, eCommons. And while it is not a Marian Library publication, Marian Studies, the proceedings of the Mariological Society of America's annual meeting, can also be found on eCommons.
Accessing Books and Periodicals
Once you've found an item, how do you access it? Electronic resources usually have a direct link, but the catalog information for books and other physical resources can be confusing.
Items with a CHECK SHELVES status are available to borrow. Request them from the seventh floor's welcome during the Marian Library's open hours, and staff will page them for you from the closed stacks.
LIB USE ONLY catalog status indicates that an item cannot be checked out, but can be used in the library. For Marian Library library items, the seventh floor reading room. The Marian Library's rare books, pamphlets, periodicals, and Clugnet Collections are library use only. due to their age, rarity, and/or condition. Archival collections and art are also limited to in-library use. For library use only materials in the U.S. Catholic Special Collection (USCSC in the catalog), contact uscatholiccollection@udayton.edu.
Appointments for these items are highly encouraged, and can be made using Book a Librarian or by emailing marianlibrary@udayton.edu.A librarian may meet with you to provide handling information for archival materials and rare books.
Reference sources for rare books
- John Carter, ABC for Book CollectorsDigital access to the 8th edition of ABC for Book Collectors, provided by the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers and Oak Knoll Press. Print copies of other editions are available in the Libraries.
- Roberts et al., Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive TerminologyA digitial version of the print dictionary by Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington, with drawings by Margaret R. Brown.
- RBMS Latin Place NamesCreated by the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL as a cataloging resource, this resources is a way to look the city named in a Latin imprint.
These books can be found in the Marian Library Reading Room:
Encyclopedia of the Book by Call Number: Z118 .G55 1996ISBN: 9781884718151Publication Date: 2001A comprehensive reference with over 3,000 entries defining terms used in bookmaking, printing, papermaking, and the book trade. Includes biographical details of printers, authors, bookbinders, bibliophiles; and information on machinery and equipment, famous books, printing societies, organizations, customs of the trade, and arcane book lore.
The British Library Guide to Printing by Call Number: Z124 .T89 1999ISBN: 0802081797Publication Date: 1999Michael Twyman focuses on printing methods and techniques, from the invention of printing in the Far East and in Europe to today's digital revolution, and how they have played a part in shaping their end product.
ABC of Bookbinding by Call Number: Z266.7 .G74 1998ISBN: 1884718418Publication Date: 1998A compelling reference giving authoritative definitions of bookish terms with some 700 clear, free-hand illustrations. followed by a glossary of the structural evolution of binding across cultures.
The British Library Guide to Bookbinding by Call Number: Z269 .M37 1998ISBN: 0802081762Publication Date: 1998In The British Library Guide to Bookbinding, P.J.M. Marks introduces the history of the craft bookbinding trade in the west from the introduction of the codex to the twentieth century, explains how bookbindings are structured and made, and gives an overview of the development of decorative techniques and artistic styles.
