History of the Library

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  The Library of the Ukrainian Catholic University has run its own countdown since 1929 when Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky presented about one thousand books for the Seminary and the Theological Academy. This is how the Library of the Lviv Theological Academy was established. The book collection was constantly replenished, turning into a full-fledged Library.

  As a result of such an effective work, the Library ended up with up to 6,000 items and had connections with Ukrainian, Polish, Italian and Czech publishers.

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  After the arrival of the Soviet troops in Galicia in September 1939, the Academy was immediately closed. The subsequent German occupation of Lviv continued the repressions. In the end, as a result of the German bombardment, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Library were destroyed. So in the early 90’s, after the University was set up, the Library had to be restored.

  During its first operational days in 1995, the library staff started arranging books which were presented by the book fund of the Ukrainian Catholic University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome, Fr. Ivan Kit from Belgium, Fr. Ivan Muzychka from Rome and a German charitable organization Church in Need. Thus, in 1999-2000 the Library Fund possessed about 35 thousand items.

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  We should also mention people who have been in charge of the Library (given on a chronological basis): Mykhailo Petrovych, Ivan Herasym, Yuriy Pidlisnyi and Taras Tymo. In 2016, the Library of the Ukrainian Catholic Church became the structural unit of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Center, headed by Oleh Yaskiv.

  UCU Library is a member of the European Association of Catholic Libraries.

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  This institution brings together libraries of specialized Catholic Universities, theological faculties and seminaries from all over Europe. Its aim is to promote the exchange of literature, sources, experiences and employees in the are; organize a joint subscription of electronic resources and coordinate the activities of similar institutions. For example, one of the recent representative projects of such cooperation is The Network of Theological Literature.

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  Besides, UCU Library is an official member of the Ukrainian Library Association (ULA). It is an independent Ukrainian public organization with individual and collective membership, which unites volunteers who are professionally involved in the library business, bibliographic and informational activities and those who are interested in their development.