Special Collections

St. Bonaventure University is known for its special collections. 

The rare book collection has been described by the National Endowment for the Humanities as "a unique national asset of great value to American humanistic scholarship." The library holds the most important collection of Franciscana in North America, more than 9,000 rare books and manuscripts dating from the 12th century up to and including the seminal journals of renowned monastic Thomas Merton, who taught English at St. Bonaventure in the early 1940s. It also holds collections from various provincial and college libraries that were entrusted to St. Bonaventure when those institutions closed.

Additional unique and valuable materials can be found in the university archives, located on the lower level of the library. The archives documents the history of St. Bonaventure University and also maintains a number of special collections including the papers of journalists. Material in the archives has been used by researchers worldwide, and has been a part of national news broadcasts.

Please explore the links below to learn more about our special collections.

Franciscan Institute Library  | Franciscan Engravings & Woodcuts  | Choir Book  | Women Who Ruled: La Femme Heroique 

The Thomas Merton Collection 

The Robert Lax Collection 

Archives site 

Journalism-Related Special Collections on the Archives website

American Terrorist Collection (Dan Herbeck and Lou Michel)

Jim Bishop Collection 

Douglas Edwards Collection (the first television anchorman)

Robert Golden Collection 

SLA Marshall Collection 

Brother Juniper (a comic strip character born in Friedsam Library)

Roi Ottley Collection (one of the first African-American students at SBU)

The Lewis Songer Masthead Collection (a unique look at a half-century of newspaper publishing)