professor of philosophy and department chair

‘It's Like a Treasure Hunt’

Philosophy professor John Inglis uses the Marian Library to support both undergraduate and doctoral education.

“It’s unbelievable what we have,” he says. “For example, they’ve got 65 volumes of Benedictine photos and postcards not available in Europe or anywhere else. To have students be able to use that is just wonderful. ”

He also notes that the Marian Library’s copy of William Peraldus’ summa on virtues and vices is the best one still in existence.

“This is an important early printed work,” Inglis says. “It’s the reason Aquinas wrote some much about virtues and vices.”

Inglis laments that the Library’s materials are not more visible.

“So much of it is relegated to storage,” he says. “It would be wonderful if it were in a more public building with visual elements and architecture that mirror the beauty and the importance of its contents and at the same time exude the Marianist contributions to the community. People don’t know what all we have. It’s like a treasure hunt.”