With the recent addition of the University’s acclaimed U.S. Catholic Special Collection (USCSC) to the Marian Library’s purview, visitors now have easier access to a wide range of research, literature, Church documents and objects related to the U.S. Catholic experience.
Although the USCSC remains a separate special collection, being stewarded by the Marian Library will allow for better streamlining of processes within the two units. Patrons will also enjoy increased access to the USCSC.
In 1999, when the University of Dayton’s Department of Religious Studies created a doctoral program in American Catholic studies, rare books librarian Nicoletta Hary worked with the department to create the collection. She solicited donations of books, archives and artifacts from across the United States with the goal of creating a premier collection for research into American Catholicism.
Located on the third floor of Roesch Library, the USCSC holds approximately 30,000 books, over 400 journals and periodicals, 150 linear feet of archival collections, and hundreds of artifacts and objects. Researchers across the globe can access the USCSC’s digital collections on eCommons, UD’s institutional repository, and in the Marian Library reading room.
The book collection is strong in parish and diocesan histories, histories of religious orders in the U.S., and catechetical materials. Highlights of the archival collections include a complete set of the Treasure Chest comic book series, published by Pflaum Publishing Co. of Dayton; the records of the Knights of Lithuania, the Knights of Columbus Council 500, and the Dayton Catholic Women’s Club; and materials on Black Catholicism. The USCSC is also well-known across campus for its Pauline Money nun doll collection, which has made its way into many a social media post from the sixth floor of Roesch Library and even got a mention in a graduation speech.
I joined the University Libraries in 2014 and have worked as the USCSC’s only librarian/archivist since then. I look forward to the new opportunities made possible by this change, especially the increased collaboration with my colleagues.
The U.S. Catholic Special Collection supports mission-critical research into Catholic social teaching and the Catholic intellectual tradition. My colleagues and I in the Marian Library are thrilled to usher the collection into a new era of growth and outreach!
— Written by Stephanie Shreffler, an associate professor and religious collections librarian/archivist in the Marian Library.
This article originally appeared in Volume 3 of Tidings: An Annual Communiqué from the Marian Library.
