Province Library Opens

In late April, 2024, our Province Librarian and Archivist, Br. Thomas Taylor, O.S.A., officially opened the Province Library. The library is located on the second floor of the Province Offices and includes many books by St. Augustine, about St. Augustine, and about the Augustinians. There are also a number of free books on various topics.

The library, which is mandated by the Constitutions of the Order, is an extensive resource for learning about the thought of St. Augustine and the history of the Augustinian Order. In addition to books, the library also contains scholarly periodicals with Augustinian themes, such as Analecta Augustiniana, Augustinian Studies, Augustiniana, The Tagastan and its successor, Augustinian Heritage, and Acta Ordinis.

Br. Tom has put countless hours into this project. Many of the library’s books came from the old Tolentine Library and had to be transported, sorted, and cataloged after leaving the basement of St. Rita High School.   

The library’s first “Featured Book” is The Monastic Rules: Augustine of Hippo. Published in 2004 as a collaboration by Augustine scholars Gerald Bonner, Fr. George Lawless, O.S.A., and Sr. Agatha Mary, SPB, The Monastic Rules features recent research on the Rule of Augustine as well as several interesting tidbits about how the values of the Rule were put into practice in Augustine's time, drawing from the landmark research on Augustine’s Rule by Luc Verheijen, O.S.A.

After reading the book, Br. Tom has prepared a fun quiz to test your knowledge. Click the link below to take the quiz:

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/ugc/story.php?title=mzk4mtm5mgdbkp

To get a tour or to learn more about the Province Library, you can email Br. Tom at ttaylor11406@gmail.com.