Research Library & Rare Book Collection
Research Library
The Research Library supports researchers of British Catholic history and religious life, particularly from the 1560s to the Catholic revival of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Research Library also includes a core collection of contemporary books collected by sisters of the Institute during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and material of relevance to researchers of religious life and reading culture during these periods.
We are currently undertaking a major re-cataloguing project in the Research Library. This project will culminate in an online catalogue, alongside a database which captures the histories and provenances of much of this collection. In the meantime, searchable work-in-progress catalogues are available for download below. If you would like to discuss what holdings we have in relation to specific research topics, please contact the Collections Team at research@barconvent.co.uk or by completing the form below.
Download a work-in-progress catalogue of the volumes held in the Research Library.
Download a work-in-progress catalogue of the journals held in the Research Library.
Rare Book Collection
Our internationally significant Rare Book Collection includes volumes printed between 1503 to 1850 at printing presses all over Europe and in a wide variety of languages. During much of this period Catholicism was illegal in England and Wales, and the publication and distribution of ‘Popish’ books was severely restricted or criminalised. Our collection provides a remarkable insight into the historical and religious contexts in which these books were written, published, distributed and used.
It reveals how the founding sisters of the Institute and the Bar Convent used books to establish the teachings of their own religious order, despite its suppression by the Catholic Church, and is particularly significant as a collection of books bought and used exclusively by women.
We are currently undertaking a major project to re-catalogue the Rare Book Collection, and to implement essential conservation work, and at times the collection may be unavailable while this important work is carried out. If you would like to discuss what holdings we have in relation to specific research topics, please contact the Collections Team at research@barconvent.co.uk or by completing the form below.
The Rare Book Collection can be visited by appointment only. However, its beauty can be appreciated from the Exhibition, and a selection of books from this collection will be regularly on display in the library window.
Research enquiries and visiting
If you would like to make a research appointment to use the Research Library or Rare Book Collection, please email research@barconvent.co.uk or complete the contact form on this page. Please state your area of interest and how the Bar Convent’s collections will be of relevance to your research. Applications from students should be accompanied by a letter of support from an academic supervisor.
Please note that this is a private collection. Access is not guaranteed and is only permitted at the discretion of the Congregation of Jesus (English Province). Visits must be arranged in advance, and each enquiry will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If a research visit is not possible, the Collections Team are able to carry out some research on your behalf, so please do get in touch to discuss your requirements.