Gumberg Library
Encyclopedia
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, and comprises more than a half million print volumes.
History
The Duquesne University library system began in 1878, when what was then known as the "Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost" was founded. The collection moved along with the university to the BluffBluff (Pittsburgh)
The Bluff or Uptown is a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the southeast of the city's Central Business District. It is bordered in the north by the Hill District and just a short trip across the Monongahela River is the city's South Side, which is home to a flourishing...
, and was for a long time housed in the Old Main administration building.
In 1939, an anonymous contribution permitted work to begin on a new library building, in order to house the university's growing collection: that structure was given to the School of Law
Duquesne University School of Law
Duquesne University School of Law is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The School of Law was founded in 1911, and is the only multiple-division law school in western Pennsylvania. Located on the Duquesne University campus, the law school is walking...
upon the completion of the current library. The Gumburg Library building was originally constructed as a printing plant, and saw use as a garage before it was redesigned for its new purpose and opened for service as the Duquesne University Library in 1978. On 3 February 1995, it was rededicated as the "Gumberg Library at Duquesne University," a tribute to the financial support of alumnus Stanley R. Gumberg (Class of 1950) and his wife, Marcia M. Gumberg.
Library resources
Today, the Gumberg Library is home to 670,000 volumes, 5,000 journal subscriptions (both print and electronic), 150 research databases, and a variety of audiovisual materials. Electronic holdings have increased in recent years.Special collections
- Duquesne University Archives - comprises the center for the documented history of Duquesne University
- Cardinal Wright Collection - contains the prelate's personal library, with emphasis on deliberations from the Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican CouncilThe Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
and the Synods - Duquesne Authors Collection - encompasses bibliographic citations and links to publications written by the faculty and administrators of Duquesne University
- Rabbi Herman Hailperin Collection - contains more than 2,600 volumes, and focuses on Judeo-Christian intellectual and theological relations during the Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
- Simon Silverman Phenomenology Center - a collection of works related to phenomenological research and theory
- Hon. Michael A. MusmannoMichael MusmannoMichael Angelo Musmanno was an American jurist, politician, and naval officer of Italian heritage.Musmanno was born in Stowe Township, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, an industrial neighborhood a few miles west of Pittsburgh.Musmanno rose to the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy...
Collection - contains the personal papers and library of the former State Supreme Court Justice and Congressman