HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY
Lavery Library, dedicated in 1975 and named after Rev. Charles J. Lavery, C.S.B., former President and Chancellor, is situated at the center of the St. John Fisher Campus. Before the current structure was built, the college's library was located on the upper floors of Kearney Administration Building. The library's collection has grown from the initial gift of 20,000 volumes by the Rev. Bernard J. Gefell in the early 1950's to its current size of nearly 200,000 volumes. The first CD-ROM database was installed in 1989, and the library's automated catalog and circulation system were brought up in 1992.

DESCRIPTION
The Charles J. Lavery Library meets the information needs of 21st-Century students. A blend of traditional and electronic resources covering a broad range of subjects is available to the Fisher community. The library’s print collection is supplemented by an extensive offering of online scholarly resources.
Information resources include 190,000 volumes; 28,000 audiovisual items; 882 print periodical subscriptions; and access to over 9,000 electronic periodical titles.
The library provides a variety of study venues. Individual and group study areas, a computer lab, and a floor designated for quiet make the library a popular spot on campus for research, meetings, and instruction. It is also a great place to relax with comfy couches; popular books, magazines, and DVDs; and well-stocked vending machines.

Reference and Research Assistance
Professional librarians welcome students to the library reference desk day and evening hours.  There is also a 24/7 online chat reference service.  Our librarians are information specialists committed to the academic success of all students.  Individual research guidance is available by appointment.
Computing Facilities
The library is equipped with state-of-the-art computer equipment and instructional facilities. Lavery Library is a WIFI hotspot, and laptops may also be borrowed at Circulation for short-term use in the library.
Curriculum Center
Geared toward educators and pre-service educators at all levels, the Curriculum Center offers a range of juvenile literature, school textbooks, and lesson-planning resources. The Curriculum Center is a joint project of the Education Department and the library. Ample work space, coupled with ready access to materials, provide an ideal environment for project and lesson development.
Instruction
Librarians welcome opportunities for instructing groups or individuals. They can be counted on to offer current instruction in the use of all types of information sources. Classes in information literacy are taught in all subject areas using the library’s hands-on computer lab.
Interlibrary Services
Lavery Library is a member of the Rochester Regional Library Council, representing a regional collection of more than 3,400,000 titles. Interlibrary Loan staff can obtain resources not owned by Lavery Library from regional, national, and international libraries.

MISSION OF THE LIBRARY
Lavery Library is a teaching library at the center of academic life. It is a multipurpose center, located in the heart of the St. John Fisher campus, providing academic support, collaborative learning, and cultural enrichment for St. John Fisher students, faculty, and staff, and for the greater community of scholars.

EXHIBITS
Lavery Library's permanent art collection includes works by Rochester artists John Menihan and Rufus Dryer.

John Menihan was an oil painter especially well-known for his portraits. His works include Rev. Charles J. Lavery, the second President and first Chancellor of St. John Fisher College, for whom the Lavery Library is named.

Rufus J. Dryer, born in 1880 to a prominent Rochester family, studied art with Robert Henri in New York. He had a studio in Paris for 25 years, where his post-impressionist style was influenced by Cezanne and Van Gogh. Rufus Dryer returned in 1934 to the family estate in Geneva, New York, and worked in a studio there until his death in 1937. Dryer painted portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. Lavery Library has several of his works, including an oil figure study from the period around 1915 when Dryer was experimenting with Cubism.

Also on permanent display is "Down This Way, Boys" by John William Wagner. It depicts Rochester's Colonel Patrick O'Rorke leading the men of the 140th N.Y. Volunteer Infantry on Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. Although the 27-year-old officer was fatally wounded by a bullet through his neck, his men continued their charge, saving the hill which was of great strategic importance to the Federal position, and helping to win the Battle of Gettysburg. This dramatic oil painting was donated by Robert and Anne Kelly of the Col. Patrick O'Rorke Memorial Society.

Book of Kells Memorial
The original of the ancient illuminated manuscript, "The Book of Kells," is permanently housed in the library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. The facsimile displayed here is Number 765 of a limited edition of 1,480 books worldwide. It was purchased for $14,800 in 1991 as a gift to St. John Fisher College and the Rochester Community by Irish immigrants, Irish-American descendants, friends, and members of the Monroe County Chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Auxiliary. It serves as a memorial to the loved ones of many of the contributors, and in a broader sense to all the Irish who came to this area and contributed to its richness.

"The Book of Kells" is a Latin version of the New Testament, transcribed by Irish monks over 1,000 years ago. It is believed to have been used as an altar book for special occasions. Throughout its varied history it was stolen, lost, hidden, and finally put on permanent display in Trinity College, Dublin. It is regarded as a cultural treasure of the Irish people. This book of rarest beauty, depicts a highly developed art form, the faith expression of a religious community, and a literary richness that has survived centuries of political turmoil.

The public is invited to enjoy this edition of "The Book of Kells." Study of the book is encouraged, and can be arranged by contacting the Lavery Library at (585) 385-8164, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (ET). It offers the opportunity to examine a work that has previously been unavailable to scholars. Although this is not the original, it is a rare and irreplaceable edition. We urge gentle handling so that it will be available for many generations of scholars.