Blogs

By Kayla Harris

As we enter a season of gratitude, we at the Marian Library appreciate our donors who make it possible for the University of Dayton community and beyond to discover Mary through our collections, exhibits and programs. 

Caring for the Crèche Collection 

The Marian Library Crèche Collection began in 1984 with the generous contributions of friends and donors. Today the collection includes over 3,600 crèches, also known as Nativities, that depict the birth of Jesus Christ through diverse cultural traditions, materials and styles. 

With so many Nativity sets, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work to manage and care for the collection. When the Nativities are not being shared in an exhibit or in our Crèche Museum, they are stored a few blocks away in Fitz Hall. Similar to how some families may care for and store cherished Christmas ornaments, many of the individual figures in our Nativity sets are wrapped in tissue paper and placed in boxes. Since the Nativities are made of many different material types, extra care has to be taken to use museum-quality supplies to ensure the pieces will stay in the best possible condition for many generations to come.

The Annual Christmas Exhibit

Since 1994, the Marian Library has curated an annual Christmas exhibit that features Nativity sets from the collection. Each year the exhibit welcomes hundreds of visitors — University of Dayton students, preschoolers from the Bombeck Family Learning Center, school groups from throughout Dayton and many families from all around the area. 

Visitors often share how meaningful the exhibit is to them because they can connect their own beliefs and traditions to the Nativities on display. After visiting the exhibit last year, a business student reflected:

“The Nativity scene is definitely something special for my family because of our faith. It represents our savior and all he has done for us. We celebrate every Christmas and it allows us to remember what the real meaning of Christmas is.”

Selection of a theme and planning for the Christmas exhibit begins early in the calendar year, shortly after the previous exhibit concludes. Librarians choose Nativity sets that illustrate the chosen theme. They conduct extensive research to provide information about the artist, style, and cultural traditions depicted for each Nativity they plan to put on display. Movers are hired to bring the Nativity sets and cases to the library — many up to the seventh floor. This year, to provide more visible reminders of our Catholic and Marianist identity on campus, Nativity sets were shared with the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Roger Glass Center for the Arts, Curran Place and Bergamo Center for Lifelong Learning.

Support for Our Mission

Bill and Janet Matthews contacted the Marian Library last fall to inquire about supporting the purchase of an exhibit case to display Nativity sets. Bill, a two-time University of Dayton alum, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration (’67) and a Master of Business Administration (’71). Janet is a lifetime member of the University of Dayton Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. They shared:

“Over the years, our family has enjoyed “Christmas on Campus” and visiting the crèche exhibits. We know that the Marian Library has thousands of crèches, so we thought you might be able to display another one if you had an additional case.”

Donors support the work of the Marian Library in so many ways — hands-on learning for students, new acquisitions to enhance our Catholic and Marianist identity and the conservation of our unique books, artwork and Nativity sets for future generations. Read more examples of these stories and discover how your gift can enhance learning, teaching and research focused on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

— Kayla Harris is an associate professor and the director of the Marian Library.