Goethals Indian Library and Research Society

Goethals Library

A treasure housed in a part of the St. Xavier's College building on Park Street, above the main Chapel.

17,663 volumes

The library contains a collection of 17,663 volumes of books and periodicals.

An Archive

A Minor Archives division on St. Xavier's College and the Jesuits and Christian mission in India, particularly West Bengal

A Library

Plates & Maps, Periodicals, Mission Documents, 500 Yrs Old Books. Bibliography, G Directory 1998, Archives

A Research Centre

a spacious, airy and well-lit research section

A Minor Archives division

A Minor Archives division on St. Xavier's College and the Jesuits and Christian mission in India, particularly West Bengal.

A Hidden Treasure

The treasure was inherited by the Jesuit Fathers of St. Xavier's in 1908 from the then Archbishop of Calcutta, Paul Goethals, S.J. Archbishop Goethals, a Belgian who was Archbishop of Calcutta from 1886 to 1901, donated to the Jesuit Fathers his precious collection of books with the expectation that they be preserved as a separate library. The History ...

What to expect

Engravings by Thomas and William Daniell

Noteworthy treasure is the six large volumes of oriental scenery each containing 24 views, colour engravings by Thomas and William Daniell, from March 1, 1795 to June 1, 1803. There are also a number of curios, marble Buddha statues and an exquisite dagger collection. Read more...
Artefacts

There are also a number of curios, marble Buddha statues and an exquisite dagger collection
Titles published before 1799

A former Deputy Librarian of the National Library, Calcutta, Mr. Avinash Lal, has listed in this collection the titles published before 1799. They total 1,000, an extraordinary number when a collection of the size and status of the National Library is about 1,700.