The John M. Kelly Library is an academic hub on the St. Mike’s campus and features large humanities and social science collections, alongside a variety of study spaces for both individual and group work. The Kelly Library also offers a range of services for students and faculty including research and writing help, and our Personal Librarian, Syllabus, and Kelly InfoExpress services.
Our collections support students in all disciplines but are especially strong in the areas of Catholic theology, European literature, the Middle Ages, and History. Other areas of note include Celtic languages, Book History, Media Studies, Irish History, philosophy, and Religious Studies.
Following the federation of Regis College with the University of St. Michael’s College Faculty of Theology, the Kelly Library assumed the custodianship of the collections of the newly formed Regis St. Michael’s (RSM) Faculty of Theology. The arrival of the collections formerly held in the Regis College Library has added substantially to materials relating to St. Ignatius and Ignatian theology and of Jesuitica.
The Kelly Library operates as part of the University of Toronto Libraries affording users access to all materials held by the university, including to its physical and electronic holdings. All our books and journals are listed in LibrarySearch, the UofT Libraries’ catalogue.
In addition to our circulating collection, we also have a range of archival, manuscript, and rare books special collections including the works and personal archives of such figures as philosopher Marshall McLuhan, novelist Sheila Watson, and writer G.K. Chesterton, among others.
Collection Objectives
The John M. Kelly Library firmly defends freedom of speech, thought, and enquiry, a commitment upheld by the Canadian Library Association (CLA) and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL).
The University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto sponsors undergraduate programs and offers graduate education in the Faculty of Theology. Accordingly, the John M. Kelly Library collects materials from a wide range of perspectives. These materials support a broad spectrum of courses taught by faculty, and research conducted by faculty and librarians, students, and external researchers.