The Marian Library at the University of Dayton

The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute focuses research and collections concerning Mary, mother of the Christ Jesus. The library is hosted at the University of Dayton, in Ohio. This is an example of a specialized library; one with a religious focus.

The mission of the library is to provide information about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to collect literature and art that focuses on Mary and to maintain connections with the Marian community.

From the library website:

• over 100,000 books and pamphlets in some fifty languages, ranging from the invention of printing in the fifteenth century to the present
• more than 63,000 clippings from newspapers and magazines
• nearly 100,000 cards depicting Mary in the art of all ages and numerous Marian shrines. (i.e., if we count the postcards, Christmas cards, holy cards, and prints of various sizes).

You can search for the library holdings via a Marian specific Google Search. This will reflect those holdings that have a connection to Marian research.

On-Line Collection of Marian Art and Research

The library maintains a collection of art with Mary as the primary focus. There are traditional and contemporary paintings of Mary in a variety of styles and interpretations.

Marian Poetry Collections

There is a huge collection of Mary inspired poetry at the site. There are seasonal poetry, poetry of praise, assistance and poetry by John Donne, Pier Paolo Pasolini, in Italian, and Thomas Merton.

This is an opportunity to explore a topic or a collection you may not have been aware of it existence. It is also a great reason to check out the art gallery.