Woodstock Theological Center Library

In 1990 Georgetown University and the two Jesuit provinces of Maryland and New York reached a milestone agreement. By the terms of this agreement the Woodstock Library will remain at Georgetown University in perpetuum.

The Woodstock Library originated and remained for 100 years at Woodstock College outside Baltimore, the site of the Jesuit seminary. In 1969 the library moved with the college to New York, but within five years the college was closed and the library came to Georgetown to be housed (under temporary agreement) in the Lauinger building.

It was the arrival of the Woodstock Library at Georgetown in 1974 which provided the immediate occasion of enclosing the lower level of Lauinger Library, which up to that time had been used for parking. Still housed in the southwest area of the lower level of Lauinger, Woodstock's area is being enlarged with the current renovation and it will gain an entrance from within the library, symbolizing its closer and permanent relationship with the University.

The advantage of this permanent agreement to the Woodstock Theological Center is obvious: namely, guaranteed preservation and expansion of this invaluable resource for its research and publication. At the same time, the library is a magnificent resource for the university. With its 180,000 volumes, it is one of the finest theological collections in the United States and its Jesuitica-Jesuit spirituality, history, educational philosophy, documentation and so on--it is unparalleled. As the University continues to commit itself ever more deeply to a renewal of its Jesuit identity, concern for ethics and morals, and the development of its theology program, this library will be an indispensable assistance.