In April of 1911, in an article in The Catholic Book Bulletin: A Monthly Review of Catholic Literature entitled, "A Domestic Library and Other Things," Mrs. Coleman offers advice to Mr. O'Doherty of Donegal and other persons seeking to set up a family library.
Mrs. Coleman's recommendations are ones that seek to foster formation of the soul, mind, and heart, particularly for the Catholic population in Ireland. The titles and items featured in this exhibit reflect the recommendations of Mrs. Coleman. The items displayed here are fancier and of a much higher quality than the same titles or objects that would have appeared in the homes of the rural or urban working class Irish in 1911. The selections, however, reveal the importance of the Church and devotional practices, the study of Irish history, literature, language, music, and other arts as the Irish seek to reclaim all aspects of Irish knowledge and culture and to begin to build a nation.
For more information, as well as a recording from the Catholic Bulletin of April 1911, please visit this page.