Library
About
The TMLA Library is more than just a space to find books; it is a dynamic hub of learning, innovation, and discovery, embodying our commitment to fostering academic, creative, and intellectual growth in our students.
Our collection features over 9,000 volumes, including works by distinguished TMLA alumnae. This carefully curated collection supports all areas of study and inspires students with the achievements of those who came before them. Beyond books, the library offers access to a wide range of resources, including magazine and newspaper subscriptions, as well as the extensive NovelNY collection, which includes Gale databases and other literary references accessible both at school and at home.
The TMLA Library works closely with academic subject teachers to integrate its resources into the curriculum, creating multidimensional learning experiences. Freshwomen participate in library skills classes to build confidence in research techniques, while seniors take research courses designed to prepare them for their culminating senior research papers.
Our Library's History
The Mary Louis Academy Library was designed in 1937 by architect Henry V. Murphy in the Collegiate Gothic style. Paneled in oak and adorned with beautifully carved limestone embellishments, the library was modeled after the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University.
The intricate stone carvings throughout TMLA’s Main Building were executed by stonemason Giacomo Bagatta, who also contributed to the stonework at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. Giacomo’s daughter, Yolanda, graduated from TMLA in 1948. Among the most notable carvings is the Tree of Knowledge in the tympanum above the main library doors and the delicate tracery on the original leaded glass windows. Above the fireplace mantel, in a place of honor, is the carved coat of arms of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Beneath this heraldic emblem hangs an oil painting of TMLA’s founder and namesake, Mother Mary Louis Crummey, CSJ.
As your gaze travels upward, you can appreciate the beauty of the three original wrought iron chandeliers, evoking the atmosphere of a medieval castle. The faux hammerbeam ceiling is hand-carved from oak, and at the base of its four main pediments, you will find carvings representing the four disciplines of study:
- A Doric column and olive branch, signifying the study of the Classics
- A harp and horn, symbolizing the study of music
- An artist’s palette and brush, representing the study of visual arts
- A book of knowledge and torch, embodying the pursuit of enlightenment and learning
Much of the library’s furniture is original to when TMLA opened in 1936. The oak tables, chairs, and card catalog were crafted by the Gaylord Brothers Library Company, which was a premier library supplier in its time. Their work also furnished the libraries of Yale University, Brown University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh.
Books by the TMLA Community
We take pride in showcasing the remarkable works of our alumnae and faculty. Below are just a few highlights from our library collection, authored by members of our own community.
Acclaimed writer Julia Alvarez’s beloved first novel gives voice to four sisters as they grow up in two cultures. The García sisters—Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía—and their family must flee their home in the Dominican Republic after their father’s role in an attempt to overthrow brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo is discovered. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Caribbean. In the wondrous but not always welcoming U.S.A., their parents try to hold on to their old ways as the girls try find new lives: by straightening their hair and wearing American fashions, and by forgetting their Spanish. For them, it is at once liberating and excruciating to be caught between the old world and the new. Here they tell their stories about being at home—and not at home—in America.
When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.
In Big Apple Diaries, a heartfelt diary-style graphic memoir, a young New Yorker doodles her way through middle school—until the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack leaves her wondering if she can ever be a kid again.
When Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they’ll take Hollis away and move Josie into a home. Well, Hollis Woods won’t let anyone separate them. She’s escaped the system before; this time, she’s taking Josie with her. Still, even as she plans her future with Josie, Hollis dreams of the past summer with the Regans, fixing each special moment of her days with them in pictures she’ll never forget.
The Old Testament, or Hebrew Scriptures, has been a source of spiritual inspiration for hundreds of millions of believers throughout the ages. Center stage in the Old Testament is a body of literature by and about the prophets--messengers of God who tried to keep God's people on the right path. You know their names--Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel--or do you? Are you acquainted with Deborah, Huldah, Miriam and Noadiah? For far too long, the women prophets have never been accorded the respect and attention they deserve, but they delivered God's messages with the same passion, commitment and urgency as the men. This book is written to acknowledge and celebrate them--and put the women--the prophetesses--on the pedestal they deserve to occupy.
The history of The Mary Louis Academy, one of the premiere Catholic high schools for girls in America. Covers every year since the school's opening in 1936 until the present day in text and more than 2,000 images.
Explore
Browse through highlights of our library below.
