The Catholic Library of Western Australia has last year moved to new premises in Doubleview and adopted a new name.
The Saint John Henry Newman Library is now located at St Catherine’s Centre in Doubleview and serves Catholic Education Western Australia Ltd, Catholic School staff, Parishes, staff and students undertaking courses at Tertiary institutions, Faith Formation centres, Social Justice agencies, Outreach organisations, Clergy and members of religious orders and the broader community on their spiritual and lifelong learning journey.
Membership is free and the library membership is open to all residents of Western Australia who are above 18 years of age.
The Catholic Library was originally established as the WACE (Western Australian Catholic Educators) Resource Centre in Nedlands in 1973.
It was later incorporated into the Catholic Institute in 1976 taking the name of the Catholic Institute Resource Centre.
In 1987, it was given new terms of reference by the WA Conference of Bishops and was reorganised and named as the Catholic Library of Western Australia.
As the name implied the new terms of reference heralded an expansion of its role and services to the general Catholic community as well as continuing its earlier mission in serving schools, Catechists and tertiary students.
The WA Bishops decreed in 1999 that the management of the Catholic Library would pass to the Catholic Education Commission and consequently it now operates as a library service within the Catholic Education Centre, while also maintaining its original purpose and role.
The Catholic Library of Western Australia was originally located within the Catholic Education Western Australia building in Leederville until 2016, when it was moved to the Newman Siena Centre in Doubleview.
For more information visit www.sjhnlibrary.wa.edu.au.