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Library Mission

The mission of the library is to support the educational programs at Maria College and facilitate learning and research activities among students, faculty and staff.
The library staff seeks to fulfill this mission and make holdings and facilities user‐friendly by providing attractive, accessible reading and stack areas, providing competent assistance to students and faculty, offering instructional services on the use of the library, and organizing and maintaining a collection that supports Maria’s programs.
The library contains books, periodicals, newspapers, and anatomy models which are available to students and faculty. Maria’s library has an eBook collection and multiple databases. 

Mission Integration

     Mission integration is an important part of the library.  The following initiatives have been facilitated to highlight and honor the RSM and their work for Maria College:

1.   Digitization of the Mariale, Spring Literary Magazine. Maria College Library scanned and digitized the Maria College Literary Magazine, “the Mariale.”  The spring literary magazine prevailed from 1961-1976 (missing year 1965) and include the creative works (essays, reviews, commentaries, prose, story, art, creative works (titles) of the students of Maria College.  The Maria College Library librarians scanned the magazines.  There are a total of 444 pages.  Some issues of “The Mariale” have themes.  The 1966 issue is based upon peace as a theme due to the Vietnam War.  In the 1975 issue, the Bicentennial of the United States of America is celebrated, and the students of Maria College commemorate the following:  the spirit of being a citizen of the United States, colonialism, honoring George Washington, Henry Hudson, Quilting, and American couture.
2.  Glee Club Digitization Project- In 2016 and completed in early 2017, Maria College Library uploaded converted digitized sound recordings (from record albums to compact discs to mp3s).  The sound recordings were posted with metadata to the New York Heritage Collections. The Maria College Glee Club of the 1960s and 1970s was led by Director/Conductor, J. Robert Sheehan, and included the Religious Sisters of Mercy and students of the College.  The glee club presented programs during the Christmas season and for the Spring Festivals.  The Glee Club Collection contains songs from two glee club record albums, a photograph of the glee club and a Spring Festival program.   In addition, there is a Christmas album sung by the Priests’ Choir of the Diocese of Albany, Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Albany Diocese and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 
3. The Promarian Newsletter-Maria College Library uploaded  and digitized newsletters from the 1960s to the New York Heritage website.  The newsletters were written by the faculty and students of Maria College. The thoughts and ideas of the Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM) in regards to the Education of future RSM and lay students from Maria College were expressed in the newsletters.  Understanding of the curriculum, lectures, questions regarding love, academic freedom and pursuits, and Catholicism are available to read.  The Promarian helps to preserve and provide a cultural and historical perspective of the faculty and students of the College.