St. Thomas More Library
The library serves the students, faculty and monastic and lay community at Portsmouth Abbey School. Its collection of books, periodicals, non-print and on-line resource materials supports the liberal arts curriculum of the school and provides recreational reading for all members of the community. It is the goal of the library to promote reading and research for knowledge and pleasure as well as to teach the necessary information gathering skills which students will need to become life-long learners.
The St. Thomas More Library is open every day when the school is in regular session. It is an attractive and spacious campus location for quiet study, research and pleasure reading. Although the library is not open to the public, special arrangements to use its collection can be made with the library director.
Hours
Monday and Friday 8:30 am - 9:30 pm.
Tues., Wed., Thurs. 8:00 am - 9:30 pm.
Saturday 8:15 am - 12:30 pm
Sunday 3:30 - 5:30pm., 7:30 pm - 9:30pm.
The book collection holds approximately 38,000 volumes of books in the fields of literature, history, art history, theology, classics, math and science. Donations from the John D. Reynolds, Thomas, Moran, Elias D. Mogayzel, William Haney III, Mary Louise Kearney, and N. Young DuHamel book funds are used to augment the library general materials budget.
The art seminar reading room holds about 2,000 art books begun originally from a collection of Dom Hilary Martin and Dom Peter Sidler of Portsmouth Priory. This collection is currently added to each year by donations from the Donald Mc Guire Book Fund, the James Sand Book Fund and others.
The school library subscribes to 90 magazines, and 6 English and 1 French newspaper. Back files of all major newspapers and magazines are maintained, including a selection of newspapers and broadsides from the colonial era. On-line indexing and delivery of contemporary articles is available.
An alumni donation of 12,000 new classical music CDs has being cataloged for use by the Abbey community. A collection of about 1,200 DVD and videos of curriculum support and entertainment interest is available for faculty and specified student assignment use.
Department head and advisor suggested book titles that are to be included in the required summer reading list are previewed by the librarian. The book collection holds nearly all of the books published by such diverse Portsmouth Abbey Alumni authors, such as Vincent Cronin, Keith Botsford, E.J. Dionne, Christopher Buckley, John Gregory Dunne, Dom Julian Stead, and Michael C.J. Putnam. The faculty reading club often reads books by alumni authors.
The monastery collection of approximately 40,000 volumes is being electronically cataloged. In special circumstances, those items that are uniquely held there may be made available to the faculty and to students by the school librarian's request to the Abbey monastery librarian.
ADMINISTRATION
Roberta Stevens, Library Director
Library Assistant-Cataloging, Marianne Pickett
Library assistants-Clerks, Kathy Cheever and Mary Brown
Additional information about the library can be obtained by contacting the Director at library@portsmouthabbey.org.
