Library

The Library of the College of St. Alphonsus was founded in 1855, when the Redemptorist Fathers opened their General House in Rome. Its first modest beginning came from the legacy of Cardinal Clement Villecourt (+1867). By 1905, the library already contained 20,000 volumes and was considered among the best ecclesiastical libraries of Rome. Many of the woks acquired were carefully chosen to bring together the authors used by St. Alphonsus in his Moral Theology. Having attained this objective, those in charge then confined themselves to the normal needs of a religious community. When the Redemptorists established the Institute for Higher Studies, they enlarged the library for the formation of the professors and students of the Congregation. The eventual founding and acceptance of the Alphonsian Academy as part of the Pontifical Lateran University caused major changes in the library. It was completely reorganized to comply with university library standards and its character was defined as a library that would specialize in the field of Moral Theology.

After undergoing major renovations in 1989, the library has opened a new reading and study room. It has also added much needed additional shelf space for the almost 180,000 volumes in its collection today. A great many students and scholars use its steadily growing resources. The addition of computer terminals has made the resources of the U.R.B.E. interlibrary network easily accessible as well. U.R.B.E. Since 1993 the Alphonsian Library has been a part of the U.R.B.E. network. U.R.B.E. or, the Roman Union of Ecclesiastical Libraries, is an ecclesiastical and cultural independent not -for-profit association formed in 1991 with its center in Rome. U.R.B.E. is composed of fourteen Roman in situations of higher education.

The aim of URBE is to make the various member libraries available to each other and to their users by means of an interlibrary computer network. This allows much greater and convenient access to the sometimes very specialized collections of the member institutes. The cultural patrimony, which the libraries that form URBE hold, is considerable. There are close to three and one-half million books and periodicals in the member libraries. And, more important, this great wealth of published academic materials is carefully chosen to be relevant to the respective specialized fields in which each participating library concentrates. Within URBE, they recognize the Alphonsian Library as the resource center specializing in Moral Theology.

Information

Working with Father Marian Sojka, C.Ss.R., Prefect of the Library, are Francesca Coltellacci, Manon Handele, Makonko Mandiangu, Antonella Orfino and Father Paul Sindermann, C.Ss.R.

The Library is open with no fees to anyone wishing to use it.  Library hours are from Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 1:45 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The library telephone numbers are the following:

Internet Access

The Alphonsian Academy Library is Available Online:  URBE

The Library may also be contacted by e-mail