Founded by Blessed Pious IX and named in his honour, the library has special collections of both historic and artistic value:

- the German College Collection

- the Gregory XIII Collection

- the Private Collection of Blessed Pious IX

- the collections previously held in the monastery of Saints Boniface and Alexi

- medieval manuscripts, among which the precious XIth Century Incipit istoria S. Bonifacij

Together these collections are composed of splendidly bound and decorated books spanning from the 16^th to 19^th Centuries.

In addition to this invaluable patrimony the Library takes great care in maintaining its contemporary collections, particularly in Canon Law, and also possesses a patrimony of modern editions , particularly in the legal field, as well as hundreds of scientific journals, dealing with Theology, Philosophy, Canon and Civil Law, Pastoral Theology.

Since 1997 the Pious IX Library participates at the URBS network cataloguing system, along with eighteen other cultural and scientific institutions of international reknown. Today the Library is committed to a programme of further modernisation that includes:

- automisation of administrative procedures

- restoration of the reading room

- exploitation of previous cataloguing efforts

- conservation and presentation of ancient and rare books

It is open from Monday to Friday form 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. to teachers, researchers and students of Pontifical Unviersities, Accademies and Institutes of ecclesiastical-religious studies. Access for students from civil and private Universities by letter of presentation.

The Library has 90 places and some workstations with computers and Internet link, connected with URBS network catalogue.

To encourage research and promote a broader access to the library’s collections, the Blessed Pious IX General Library has opened some satellite libraries within faculties and institutes on the Lateran Campus.

For further contact:

pulbibli@librs6k.vatlib.it