The SMA Library in Rome is located in della Nocetta, 111, in the same place as the Archives. For this reason, over the years, a series of archival documents have been collected in the library.

For example, the Funds of SMA Fathers: Brésillac, Planque, Guilcher, Douau, Aupiais etc. ; the customary missions, parishes and seminaries; the registers, Carnets, Relations and manuscripts of the Ordinaries in mission land.

Apart from the collection of documents of the founder and the co-founder, often the funds represent a collection of sources gathered by the fathers, during their professional life. Among others, the Remiro collection, collection of articles, books and notes on the history of Islam and Islamic-Christian dialogue, is an interesting example of the father’s work and offers the opportunity to examine the relationship between the SMA and Islam in history.

 

In addition to this documentation, the library collects about seven thousand book titles. Whenever possible, three copies of each book are kept. Cataloging started in recent years is continuously updated. This is the establishment of a descriptive notice, an identity card allowing the identification and location of books in the library. The description obeys cataloging standards, using the Filemaker database, so it is possible to search by title, author, date of publication etc.

The library is organized in thematic areas according to the cabinets:

• General arguments about the SMA and the work of the confreres:

1) History, spirituality, catechesis, Sacred Scripture, formation, animation, prayers, pastoral, songs, missions, evangelization, linguistic and ethnographic works, memoirs, studies, theses, biographies and autobiographies, arts, museum, poems, stories, novels.

(2) States, obituaries, constitutions, regulations, executive boards, assemblies, circulars, reports, minutes, collection of letters and instructions, rights, standards, instructions, decrees, information.

3) Sisters OLA

• Non-SMA books on SMA and various work in territories where the SMA works:

1) General history of missions, history of Africa, geography, education, teaching, linguistics, literature, anthropology, ethnography, art, monographs, social and political problems, slavery, independence, crises, colonization, decolonization, relationship with the Europe, African religions, beliefs, rites, magic, philosophy

2) Institutes related to the SMA

3) Papal texts

4) USG documents and various ecclesial organizations

5) Statistics of the SCPF and the Eastern Congregation

6) Directories, information, OPM information

7) Documents of the various institutes and ecclesial organizations

8) Missionary Bibliography

9) Bibliography in general

10) Studies on other religious institutes

• Islam:

1. Doctrine, history, black Islam

2. Islam-Christian Dialogue, Expansions of Islam

3. Quran, Arab studies

4. Egypt, Copts

• Collections

1. “Jeune Afrique”, country where the SMA works

2. “Men and Destiny”

• Journals :

1. Dahomey-Benin

2. Togo

3. Ivory Coast

4. Central

5. History

6. Missiology

The library is open from

Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 13:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00.

The lent is not allowed.

For consultation it is necessary to come directly.

The books published by SMA can be purchased on Amazon.

Roberta Grossi