Woodstock Theological CenterLibrary
Woodstock Theological CenterThe Woodstock Theological Center Library is one of the oldest and most notable Catholic theological library collections in the United States. Founded in 1869 at Woodstock College outside of Baltimore, it was located in New York City from 1969-1974. With the closing of Woodstock College in 1974, the library was moved to Georgetown University, Washington, DC. The library contains approximately 200,000 volumes and collects over 700 periodical titles each year. Owned by the Maryland and New York provinces of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the library has been housed as a separate collection in the Joseph Mark Lauinger Library on the Georgetown University campus since 1975. The collections of the library are available to university students and faculty and to scholars from all over the world who come to do research. It is especially strong in the areas of biblical studies, spirituality, church history, liturgy, and the social aspects of Christianity. Its rare book collection of over 17,500 titles is one of the most outstanding theological rare book collections in the United States.
Beginning in July l988, the Woodstock Theological Library has been cataloging its new acquisitions using the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and these books and its periodicals can be looked up using the Georgetown University library on-line system known as GEORGE. Books acquired prior to 1988 can be retrieved only by using the conventional card catalog in the Woodstock Library. The Center is currently looking for funds to allow it to put these books on-line. Not currently included on-line are some of the most theologically and historically significant titles in the library’s collection. They relate to the "discovery" of the new world, Jesuit missionary and educational work in early America, and the history of the American Catholic Church. A challenge grant for this conversion project of $100,000 over a five-year period has been made to the Woodstock Theological Center provided that Woodstock match the grant at $20,000 for each of the five years. Anyone with suggestions for funding sources should contact the Woodstock Theological Center.
The library is open Monday through Friday, 9 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.