April 13 is the birthday of Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), an American Founding Father, primary author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and Governor of Virginia (1779-1780) as well as the first Secretary of State (1790-1793), second Vice President (1797-1801), and third President of the United States (1801–1809). A Virginia planter and Enlightenment thinker (i.e. Humanism, Read More

One of the most exciting events of the year is almost here! The annual University Research Day will be held on April 15th 2026. Research Day provides members of the CUA community the opportunity to present their research outside of the classroom environment. Throughout the day, students and faculty will share their recent scholarship with Read More

As you’re assembling your final projects and papers this semester, we’ve got the tools to help you put all the pieces together. This month, the library brings together collections and resources designed to help you connect, construct, and create. Start where you are and build from there. Some Assembly Required: Citation Tools Before you can Read More

The Metrorail subway system arrived in Washington Saturday and the response was so overwhelming that prospective riders waited in lines for up to four hours to ride in trains that were often so overloaded that they refused to move because of the weight of the overcapacity crowds. – John Koppish, The Tower, Vol 54, Issue Read More

Lent is coming to an end and soon the Easter season will be upon us. There is a shift from repentance and sacrifice towards the joy and celebration of the resurrection of Christ. And while this is a joyous time, it is also a time for deepening spiritual growth and reflection. In that spirit, Mullen Read More

Predating modern cat memes by thousands of years, humans have always found a way to commemorate our feline companions. The Magner Collection showcases a few superb Pre-Columbian ceramic pottery pieces to excite any cat lover. These ceramic artifacts likely originate from the Pre-Columbian civilization known as the Chavín Culture (900 BC – 250 BC). Located Read More

March 17th marks St. Patrick’s Day, a religious holiday and a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. While you are preparing a traditional dish or gearing up for your local St. Patrick’s Day parade, why not check out some Irish movies and documentaries in Kanopy? The library has some great Emerald Isle content to Read More

Dear readers, do you ever look up in Mullen Library and notice a blank spot on the wall? Was anything displayed there, if ever? And if there was once something there, what happened to it? Well… The portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, which His Eminence Cardinal Spellman presented to the Catholic University in Read More

Women’s history is often told through famous milestones and well-known names, but it is equally a story of ideas, action, and cultural change. The films in this month’s spotlight explore the many ways women have shaped the world around them—through scientific discovery, philosophical thought, political protest, journalism, artistic expression, and collective action. From environmental pioneer Read More

As Special Collections at Catholic University celebrates our three hundredth blog post and eleven years with The Archivist’s Nook we reflect upon how we got here and offer a few staff favorites from across the spectrum of our holdings of university records, museum objects, rare books, and American Catholic History manuscript collections. Eleven years ago, Read More