Special Collections and Archives
Viewing materials housed in Iona University Libraries Archives is by appointment only. Please contact Natalka Sawchuk for assistance.
The collections housed in the Archives Room include rare and archival materials, signed copies, and publications by Iona University faculty. See Iona's policy on Public Use of Archive Material.
Ben Ferencz was an American lawyer and advocate for international justice. He was the prosecutor at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, one of the Nuremberg Trials. This collection consists of items from the personal library from his once New Rochelle home. It reflects his dedication to international justice, human rights, peace, and the rule of law. The works span the Holocaust, war crimes trials, genocide prevention, international criminal law, UN reform, disarmament, and world peace. The collection includes studies on the Nuremberg trials, the International Criminal Court, human rights, conflict resolution, and global governance, and Ferencz’s own writings.
These materials, in English and Gaelic, focus on the subjects of Irish literature, history, and culture. A small portion of the collection is housed in the Archives (see above). The Br. Charles B. Quinn Collection (Irish Collection) is located on the second floor of Ryan Library and follows normal circulation policies (excluding materials located in the Archives).
Over its history Iona University has collected books on or about Ireland: Irish history, literature, poetry, etc. In recent years Brother Charles Quinn has written up a list of the books Iona owns in the Irish language (Gaelic). The list numbers just short of 1,000 titles, entries are listed alphabetically by author (or editor), or by title.
This collection consists of materials on the life and work of Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762-1844), founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers. The materials also address the history of the Christian Brothers and are comprised of biographies and histories. Brother Edmund Rice was beatified in October, 1996.
This collection consists of books owned by Br. John G. Driscoll, C.F.C., who served as Iona’s sixth president, from 1971 to 1995. In Br. Driscoll’s later years, he focused his studies on the relationship between the Jewish and Catholic faiths. Many titles in the collection reflect those studies. The Driscoll Collection is located in the Spiritual Masters Athenaeum, found on the third floor of Ryan Library.
The Brother John G. Driscoll Professorship in Jewish-Catholic Studies Collection is a constantly growing collection of titles concerning the relations between the Jewish and Catholic faiths. The collection is part of the Br. John G. Driscoll Professorship, Iona’s first endowed chair, supported by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Jack Rudin. Books in the collection are shelved throughout the library’s main stacks.
This collection consists of monographs and pamphlets donated by Eileen Egan in memory of her brother, John Mark Egan C. F. C. (1920-1978). Brother John Mark Egan contributed to the mission of the Irish Christian Brothers for over 30 years and was an important part of Iona University. Eileen Egan is the co-founder of Pax Christi and has authored dozens of books. The materials in this collection are on the subjects of peace and justice, and nonviolence and are integrated into all areas of the Libraries' collection. The materials circulate depending on their location.
Browse items in this collection »
153 titles on Ireland and Irish history from Christopher T. Emmet, descendant of Robert Emmet, who led a rebellion for Ireland in 1803.
The Ionian, originally published in 1941 as the Iona Pinnacle, is a newspaper covering events of interest to New Rochelle, NY and the Iona community. The archive covers Vol. 2 No. 1 published in November 1941 through Vol. 89 No. 7 published May 8, 2014.
Browse items in this collection »
This collection contains works by and about spiritual leader Thomas Merton. Merton was a Trappist monk who became known for his writings and teachings on mysticism and contemplation. He was a pacifist and social activist. Merton was a proponent of interfaith relations and greatly studied many Eastern religions.
Michael Joseph O'Brien, 1870-1960, was the Historiographer for the American Irish Historical Society. His work focused on Irish living in Revolutionary America. Topics of his published books include the Colonies, immigration populations, colonial newspapers, and education. The collection also includes a yet unpublished manuscript depicting Irish school teachers in the colonies. The collection is approximately 8 linear feet and includes his correspondence, handwritten notes, publication drafts, and notebooks of data.
This collection consists of almost 1,000 titles by and about Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897). Saint Thérèse was a French Discalced Carmelite nun who was canonized in 1925. She grew in popularity due to her widely published memoir The Story of a Soul and the appeal of her quiet, simple approach to spirituality. The collection was donated in 2010 and 2020 by Msgr. Kenneth Loughman. The bulk of the donated items are shelved in the Spiritual Masters Athenaeum, located on the third floor of Ryan Library, with some titles also located in the Archives.
59 titles from the Christian Brothers community in St. John’s Newfoundland.
At one time, this collection of monographs and pamphlets belonged to Sean MacBride (1904-1988), an important figure in Ireland's political history and struggle for independence from Britain. Sean Macbride was a co-founder of Amnesty International and was the only person to be awarded both the Nobel and the Lenin Peace Prizes.
Iona's digital archive of New Rochelle's Thanhouser Company, containing photos, letters, music scores, ads, and other ephemera from its studio years (1909-1917).
Browse items in this collection »
The collection consists of more than 200 items created in the mid/late 18th and 19th centuries comprised of monographs, pamphlets, booklets, newspapers, newspaper clippings, ephemera, collectibles and tokens, professional and personal papers of Paine, booklets, prints, photographs, and glass-plate negatives. These include texts, pamphlets or letters written or published by Paine himself. There are multiple first or early edition copies of Paine's famous writings such as Common Sense, Rights of Man and Agrarian Justice.
The Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigations series was donated by Lieutenant Commander (ret.), NYPD Vernon J. Geberth, an alumnus of Iona University (1967). Lt. Commander Geberth, who authored several books in this collection, is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on homicide investigation. His book Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques is known as the definitive source for homicide investigation and is widely used by police departments and police academies throughout the United States. Other books in this series discuss counterterrorism, drug enforcement, and forensic investigation.
Browse items in this collection »
William York Tindall (1903-1981) was a professor of English at Columbia University. Dr. Tindall was a scholar of British and Irish literature and authored several literary criticisms of writers such as James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, and W.B. Yeats. The Tindall Collection consists of several books signed by Dr. Tindall and donated to Iona University. All are studies of the literature of James Joyce and may be located in the Irish Reading Room on the second floor of Ryan Library.
Browse items in this collection »