Marian Library

The Marian Library maintains an extensive collection of books, videos and audio recordings on Mary. Subjects include:

• Theological studies
• Prayers and devotions
• Shrines
• Apparitions
• Representations of Mary in literature and the arts
• Various topics across diverse times, places, languages and faith traditions.

The rare-book collection includes over 11,400 cataloged volumes dating back to the 1400s. The collection primarily documents cultural expressions of Marian doctrine and devotion, including:

• Medieval manuscripts
• Incunabula (books printed before 1500)
• Works printed in Mexico in the 17th and 18th centuries
• Books and pamphlets on Marian shrines and pilgrimage sites collected by Leon Clugnet.

The rare book collection is named in honor of Brother William Fackovec, S.M., a librarian in the Marian Library from 1960 to 2010. Fackovec acquired many of the books in the collection during visits to rare-book dealers in Europe.

Access to this collection is by appointment.

Archival collections document a broad range of Marian topics including:

• Apparitions
• Shrines
• Titles of Mary
• Artistic representations of Mary
• Mary in Catholic material culture

Materials are in a variety of formats including manuscripts, audiovisual materials and artifacts.

The Marian Library acquires, preserves and exhibits art depicting Mary and artifacts documenting Marian spirituality and devotion. The Art and Artifacts Collection includes over 15,000 works including paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture and artifacts.

This collection is not currently publicly searchable. However, selections of art from Marian Library collections are available on eCommons.

The Marian Library's digital special collections provide access to digitized rare books, archival photographs, holy cards, stamps, ephemera and other unique Marian materials.

Selection of digitized materials from the collections are available in eCommons.