The Eugene H. Maly Memorial Library

The Eugene H. Maly Memorial Library supports the curriculum and goals of Mount St. Mary's Seminary and Athenaeum programs of study. It is also the library of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Its collection does not include the Archdiocese of Cincinnati archives.

The library of The Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary's of the West seminary, had its beginnings in 1833, four years after Bishop Edward D. Fenwick founded St. Francis Xavier Seminary and the Athenaeum College on Sycamore Street in downtown Cincinnati. The bishop donated his personal collection to the seminary library much of which remains in the rare book collection - a total of about 7,000 volumes. These books formed the core of the present collection, which numbers over 111,000 volumes.

The Maly Library collection emphasizes the fields of biblical studies, theology, liturgy, church history and pastoral counseling. It also is strong in the areas of canon law, bioethics, and classical and current spirituality. Although its primary emphasis is the Roman Catholic tradition, it provides resources that promote the understanding of other religious and cultural traditions.

Special Collection

In addition to the reference and circulation collections, Maly Library offers a Special Collection of books that concentrates on church history and liturgical books. This collection includes many one-of a kind manuscripts dating to as early as the 12th century including:

Peter Lombard (1095-1160) Liber Sententiarum or Book of Sentences, a gift to the seminary library from Bishop Purcell;
Pope Innocent III (Lotharius) 1161-1216. Pope, 1198-1216). De Sacro Altaris Mysterio. Title on manuscript: De Missarum Solemniis;
Augustine, Aurelius (St. Augustine). Tractatus varii; 14th century.
Cyprianus, Saint. Epistolae; 15th century.

In 1980, the library was named the Eugene H. Maly Memorial Library in honor of the late Rev. Eugene H. Maly, an internationally acclaimed scripture scholar and faculty member of The Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West.

The Maly Library is a member of the OPAL and OhioLINK consortia which offer patrons access to the library resources of an additional 88 academic institutions throughout the State of Ohio. It is also a member of the Southwest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries Consortium (formerly GCLC).

Hours

Regular hours are shown below. Hours may vary during summer, intercession, and vacation periods. Professional library staff members are available only Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you would like to see something from our special collection, please call ahead for an appointment.

Summer Hours

Summer hours vary.

The library schedule varies because of special days and events.

View the online calendar for current library hours.

School Year Hours

Mon -Thurs: 9 a.m. - noon 1 - 10 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. - noon 1 - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 - 11:15 a.m. 1 - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 2 - 6 p.m.

Other Information

Volumes 111,000

Subscriptions 387

The Maly Library also has a Special Collection of over 9,000 books, including 35 manuscripts and 22 incunabula.

Library privileges are extended to those who present a current valid ID issued by SWON (formerly GCLC) member institutions. Borrowers must register with a member of the library staff. Items are loaned for a month and can be renewed three times if not requested by other patrons. All loaned materials are subject to recall when needed by Athenaeum faculty or students.

Maly Library staff members are happy to help with using library resources and locating research materials. Regularly scheduled orientation programs are available. Please call the library at 513-233-6136 for information. Online assistance is available through Ask A Librarian; questions will usually receive a response within 48 hours. OhioLINK also offers online reference assistance, as described in services for Off-Campus Users.