The four Special Collections contain books and manuscripts about a variety of subjects collected by the college: the Franco-American Collections; the O’Rourke Saint Anselm Collection; the New England Collection; and the Rare Book Collection.

To search any of these special collections, use the our catalog’s Advanced Search and under ‘Limited To’ toggle the drop-down box to the collection title: ACA/Lambert Franco-American Collection, Anselm Collection, New England Collection, and Rare Book Collection.

The Franco-American Collections

The Franco-American Collections, which include the ACA/Lambert Franco-American Collection, aim to develop and promote interest in and study of Franco-American culture and history. Materials are available in both French and English.

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New England Collection

This collection is comprised of over 1,500 town histories from towns across New England. Nearly half of the histories were published prior to 1900. In addition, we also collect Catholic parish histories from the Diocese of Manchester and other New England dioceses.

O’Rourke Saint Anselm Collection

The O’Rourke Saint Anselm Collection is made up of primary and secondary materials documenting the life and works of Saint Anselm, Abbot of Bec and Archbishop of Canterbury. This collection supports the activities of the Institute for Saint Anselm Studies.

Rare Book Collection

This collection contains over 1,000 items, with a particular focus on theology and history. Some of the first books in the college library from Father Nicholas Balleis, O.S.B., can be found in this collection. We also have book of hours facsimile editions that are part of the Dr. F. Marc LaForce Collection.