The Catholic National Library (formerly the Catholic Central Library) is a large Roman Catholic library at St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, founded in 1912. It is known for its 70,000 books and periodicals, and the broad range of subjects it covers. It is a registered charity under English law.
From 1959 to 2007 the library was housed in a building just behind Westminster Cathedral in London. In 1997 this building was sold off and the library's collection was threatened with being broken up. A campaign by some notable British Catholic writers and noblemen helped to keep the collection intact. In 2007 the collection was rehoused at St Michael's Abbey, Farnborough, and was once again open to visitors.
In June 2007 the library changed its name from "Catholic Central Library" to "Catholic National Library". There were several reasons for this but the most important was to reflect more closely the library's role as a national resource.
The library houses mission registers which list baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths; these date back to as early as 1694. Typescripts and other printed books on loan from the Catholic Family History Society are also available at the library. The library also houses the Thomas Merton Collection, which is owned by the Thomas Merton Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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