The Main Room is designated a quiet study area. It includes PC and Mac workstations, and a multi-page scanner. This room also contains the SXU Author book collection, a small Manga collection, and the New Books display to the left as you enter the room.
The Spirit Will Teach You All Things is the name of the seven stained-glass windows that loom majestically over the main reading room of the Library.
The late Richard J. Daley, the former mayor of Chicago and the father of Richard M. Daley, donated the windows to Saint Xavier University in honor of his father, Michael J. Daley. St. Louis artist Robert Frei designed the exquisite windows as an artistic rendering of Saint Xavier’s commitment to the liberal arts and sciences.
Symbols for the classical trivium and quadrivium are embedded in the windows. From left to right, the windows represent grammar and art (quill), rhetoric (LOGOS which means word or argument/proof), logic (sphere of particles within a perfect sphere...the world of facts and the process of ordering through reason and proof), geometry (compass and geometric design made up of lines and dots), mathematics (abacus used for counting), astronomy (sun, moon, and stars), and music (the proportions of numbers, an application of arithmetic - the properties of numbers).
The Holy Spirit, portrayed as a dove in flight, soars over the whole to signify wisdom, the goal of all learning.
Please see our page describing the Art in the Library.
The library maintains a very limited campus archive collection, with material submitted until 2009. After that date, all records are maintained in individual units. The majority of the materials are in three collections: Photograph Collection, President's Papers, and random SXU History materials - primarily reports from various committees and task forces. There are internal inventory files that provide some keyword access to these unprocessed folder-level materials. The papers are not public, due to the privileged information contained in many of the materials. Contact the library staff for additional information.
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The Haddad Room is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Hassan (Husni) and Dr. Safia Haddad, friends and colleagues of the Saint Xavier University community. They devoted their lives to the cause of peace, social justice, and cultural understanding, and created the Hassan (Husni) and Safia Haddad Peace Award and Scholarship. Husni died in 1998, leaving behind a legacy of commitment to truth and social justice for all people. Funding for the Room was provided by his wife and professor emerita, Dr. Safia Haddad, and their son Dr. Waleed (Lee) Haddad. The Haddad Conference Room was dedicated on June 26, 2003. The Library lost a good friend and colleague when Madame Haddad died in 2011. The Haddad Conference Room contains the music scores and selected music book materials. It is one of the most popular study locations in the Library. The room can be reserved by students for study. This is not a teaching space - and should not be reserved for teaching purposes. (The photos of the Haddads are from the 1977 Saint Xavier College yearbook.)
The harp is a Lyon Healy, serial number 585, a Style 26, built circa 1895. It has notable composers’ busts at the top of the column: Liszt, Beethoven, Wagner, Bach and Hayden.
"Student Quiet Study Rooms" are located on the lower level, and cannot be reserved. Rooms have individual study carrels. These rooms may be designated for Testing at times. Signage will be posted as appropriate.
The Library provides group study rooms for SXU students.
Upstairs Group Study Rooms:
Reservations can be made on the student portal site.
These rooms are ONLY for current SXU students meeting outside of class. SXU students may reserve assigned rooms in one-hour blocks to a maximum of 2 hours per day.
Groups of 2-4 may reserve room L349 D,F,H,J, or K, all of which have wireless access, whiteboard, and display monitor.
Groups of 4-8 may reserve room L349 C, E,G, or I, all of which have wireless access, whiteboard, and display monitor. L349C does not have a display monitor.
Groups of 4-10 may reserve the Haddad Conference Room, which has a DVD player, monitor, and wireless access.
You can check out display monitor connector cords at the Circulation desk; plug your laptops into the box on the wall -- NOT directly into the monitor.
Downstairs Group Study Rooms:
There are two first-come group study rooms downstairs. These spaces may be used for quiet group study, as they are within designated quiet areas.
The Juvenile Collection room is one of these spaces. Feel free to use this space for studying, but be aware that you may be asked to vacate the space when a person needs to use this collection.
Downstairs Group Room: Feel free to use this space, located in the back corner of the stacks, for studying, but be aware that you may be asked to vacate the space when a podcaster asks for use of the room. Podcasting students always have priority use of the small downstairs room.
Main Floor Stacks Group Study Room:
There is one small first-come group study room upstairs in the back corner of the stacks. This area is for quiet group study, as it within the designated quiet area. Feel free to use this space for studying, but be aware that you may be asked to vacate the space. This A/V Room and Podcast Room must be relinquished immediately for AV use on demand, and podcasting students also have priority use of this space.
LARGER GROUP PROJECT ROOMS
Larger groups (more that 8 people) requiring space for project work can find a list of available classroom spaces posted in the library, beside the upstairs Reservation viewing workstation.
Just inside the doors of the Library is the 
beautiful Bishop Quarter Room, named for William Quarter (seen on the right), the first bishop of Chicago, who brought the Sisters of Mercy to the city.
The Bishop Quarter Room contains Oversize (primarily Art) materials and a provocative art gallery containing student art.
The room may be used as a reception room for honored guests, faculty and staff meetings and on occasion houses special events. Honored guests have included John Podesta (February 2001) and General Colin Powell (September 2007).
In 2010, the Class of 1960 gave the Library a wonderful financial gift, allowing for the purchase of four beautiful display cases. The cases permit the Library to showcase selected items. Currently on display:
Our historical renovations are shown on our Facilities Improvements page.
The Library placed a time capsule in the wall across from the elevator on the first floor at the end of its summer 2011 renovation. The capsule will be opened in September 2061. It includes letters from President Christine Wiseman and the library director; Library brochures; a crucifix and rosary; the SXU prayer book, magazine, student planner, and calendar; the front page of the Chicago Tribune; a computer game; renovation photographs; a flash drive; and a variety of SXU memorabilia. It also contains a few surprises.