Founded in 1938 and dedicated to the memory of the beloved Bishop of North America (1898-1907), later Archbishop and Patriarch, St. Tikhon (Belavin), the Library is the focal point of the academic life of the Seminary. The holdings of our ever-growing collection consist of more than 50,000 items including approximately 36,000 volumes and 230 current periodicals concentrating on Orthodox Eastern Christianity, with emphasis on the fields of Church History, Patristics and Hagiography. The Slavic Collection, which numbers some 12,000 monograph and periodical titles ranging from the 17-th century to the present day, with strong representation of East European and Pre-1917 Russian theological works and devotional literature, is a valuable resource for study and research on all academic levels.
Our collection is searchable on-line, and public access terminals are located throughout the library. Our seminarians also have access to the Internet on dedicated workstations located in the library and in our new Computer Lab. Access to our collections is open to all users, and is without regard to religious beliefs, ethnic background, or gender.
Of special interest to visitors is the John S. and Lucille J. Guzey Collection of Icons and Antiquities, housed in the Monastery Icon Repository and Museum. Donated to the Seminary by its longtime benefactor and Trustee Emeritus John S. Guzey and his wife Lucille J. Guzey, this extensive collection of icons is the largest in North America.
The Seminary Library is an institutional member of both the American Theological LIbrary Association (ATLA) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Theological Library Association. The Libraries of SEPTLA form the nation's largest theological library consortium and comprise over 2,000,000 volumes in theology and related disciplines. SEPTLA Libraries are located within easy driving distance of St.Tikhon's in eastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey. St Tikhon's students and
faculty enjoy direct borrowing priveleges at all SEPTLA member institutions.
St. Tikhon's Seminary Faculty and Students also have the privilege of direct access to the nearby Marywood University Learning Resources Center and the Library at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Binghamton, New York, approximately a forty-minute drive from the Seminary.
