Catalogues

• Printed Collections
• Newspapers
• Manuscripts

PRINTED COLLECTIONS

The sheaf catalogue. The pre-1955 holdings of the Library, which are shelved on fixed location (including incunabula), are recorded on slips held in loose-leaf binders. These binders are arranged in two sequences: alphabetically by author and numerically by the older editions of the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme. The latter sequence, therefore, provides an approach by subject to the collections.

The card catalogue. In 1955 the sheaf catalogue was closed and a card catalogue was started. The entries are on standard 5" by 3" library cards which are filed in wooden drawers. Again, the cards are arranged in two sequences: an alphabetical and a numerical one. In the alphabetical sequence, authors, titles and series are interfiled, while the numerical sequence reflects the subject order according to the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Online Public Access Catalogue. Melitensia acquisitions received at the National Library dating from 1995 onwards, have been entered into an automated library catalogue, known as the Online Public Access Catalogue or OPAC. The advantages of the OPAC over the traditional catalogue-card system lie in its versatility as a research tool. Using the database, users can retrieve books by author, title, series, subject, classification number, as well as by a keyword search.

Online Catalogue

NEWSPAPERS

The National library's newpapers and periodicals have been described by A.F. Sapienza in A checklist of Maltese periodicals and newspapers, (Malta, 1977) and its update by N. Camilleri and R. Petrocochino in Supplement to A checklist of Maltese periodicals and newspapers covering the years 1974-1989 (Malta, 1990). These are available in the Reading Room. Information on more recent newspapers and periodicals is available on the OPAC system.

MANUSCRIPTS

• Order of Malta
• Treasury
• Universita
• Codices & Library Manuscripts

The records of the Order of Malta, the Treasury and the Università as well as the manuscripts belonging to the Library may be traced through printed indexes compiled in the last century.

Archives of the Order of Malta

The documents pertaining to the Archives of the Order of Malta (A.O.M.) are divided into seventeen sections:

1. Scritture originali di data antica;
2. Registri dei Consigli dell'Ordine
3. Registri dei Consigli di Stato
4. Registri dei Capitoli Generali
5. Registri delle Bolle di Cancelleria
6. Tesoro
7. Bolle Pontificie
8. Volumi delle Suppliche
9. Corrispondenza
10. Costituzioni dell'Ordine
11. Spedale
12. Marina
13. Chiesa
14. Lingue dell'Ordine
15. Tribunali di Nobiltà e Processi delle Prove di Nobiltà dei Religiosi Gerosolimitani
16. Cabrei, Visite Generali, Visite dei Miglioramenti delle Commende dell'Ordine
17. Miscellanea e Volumi della Repubblica Francese

A project of indexing the above documents undertaken in collaboration with the University of Malta was begun in the 1960s and is still underway, thanks to the cooperation of scholars and students. Copies of the latest publications as well as back issues of the catalogues may be ordered from Malta University Publishers Ltd on e-mail address mupl@campus.um.edu.mt

The following is the list of Catalogues of the records of the Order of St. John published so far:

Vol. I - Arch. 1-72. A. Zammit Gabarretta, J. Mizzi. Malta University Press, 1964

Vol. II pt. 1 - Arch. 73-83. J. Mizzi. Royal University of Malta, 1970

Vol. II pt. 2 - Arch. 84-87. J. Mizzi. Royal University of Malta, 1973

Vol. II pt. 3 - Arch. 88-90. J. Mizzi. University of Malta, 1978

Vol. II pt. 4 - Arch. 91-93. J. Mizzi. University of Malta, 1978

Vol. II pt. 5 - Arch. 94-96. J. Mizzi. University of Malta, 1979

Vol. II pt. 6 - Arch. 97-99. F. Azzopardi. University of Malta, 1979

Vol. II pt. 7 - Arch. 100. F. Azzopardi. University of Malta, 1988

Vol. II pt. 8 - Arch. 101-102. G. Aquilina. University of Malta, 1991

Vol. III pt. 1 - Arch. 255-260. J. Mizzi, A. Zammit Gabarretta, V. Borg. Royal University of Malta, 1965

Vol. III pt. 2 - Arch. 261-267. J. Mizzi, A. Zammit Gabarretta, V. Borg. Royal University of Malta, 1966

Vol. III pt. 3 - Arch. 268-279. J. Mizzi, A. Zammit Gabarretta, V. Borg. Royal University of Malta, 1966

Vol. IV - Arch. 280-315. J. Mizzi, A. Zammit Gabarretta. Royal University of Malta, 1964

Vol. VI - Arch. 634-643. Paul Cassar. Malta University Press, 2002

Vol. VI - Arch. 647. Joseph S. Abela. Malta University Press, 2001

Vol. VI - Arch. 1110-1125. Rev. Francis Azzopardi. Malta University Press, 2000

Vol. VII - Arch. 1126-31, 1135-38, 1140-43. J. Mizzi, A. Zammit Gabarretta. Royal University of Malta, 1964

Vol. VIII - Arch. 1182-1199. J. Mizzi, A. Zammit Gabarretta, V. Borg. Royal University of Malta, 1967

Vol. X - Arch. 1649-1712. J. Mizzi. Royal University of Malta, 1969

Vol. XI - Arch. 1713-1758. J. Mizzi. Royal University of Malta, 1969

Vol. XII - Arch. 1759-1943a. J. Mizzi. Royal University of Malta, 1968

Vol. XIII - Arch. 1935-2084b. J. Mizzi. Royal University of Malta, 1967

Vol. XIII (Supplement) - Arch. 2038-2071. S. Fiorini, W. Zammit. University of Malta, 1990

Vol. VII [Class. XVI] - Arch. 5578-5666. Patrizia Biscarini. Malta University Press, 2002

Treasury

The Treasury documents are also listed in a printed catalogue and are divided as follows:

Series A

1. Tesoro
2. Fondazione Lascaris
3. Fondazione Perellos
4. Fondazione Paola
5. Fondazione Manoel
6. Fondazione Cottoner
7. Fondazione Scappi
8. Fondazione Passalacqua
9. Fondazione Lomellina
10. Fondazione Marradas
11. Assemblea dei Cappellani Conventuali
12. Amministrazione dei Beni della Cappella della B. Vergine di Filermo
13. Fondazione di G.M. Wignacourt per la Grotta di San Paolo nel Rabat
14. Fondazione Nibbia
15. Fondazione Fiteni per la Chiesa del Pilar
16. Fondazione Marulli
17. Fondazioni Diverse
18. Congregazione di Guerra
19. Compagnia di Gesù
20. Segrezia
21. Soppresso Monastero di S. Maria Maddalena
22. Archivio dell'Università della Città Notabile
23. Spedale S. Spirito
24. Cumoli di Carità
25. Università della Valletta, Vittoriosa e Senglea

Series B is not subdivided into categories but consists of 324 volumes pertaining to the Treasury of the Order of St. John and a list of terriers (cabrei) of several foundations and institutions of the Order preserved in the Treasury.

Universita'

The Università archival group comprises two main categories, as follows:

A. Università della Città Notabile (Mdina)

1. Scritture originali
2. Registri degli atti dell'Università della C. Notabile
3. Ospedale Santo Spirito
4. Cumoli di Carità
5. Amminstrazione dei Beni del Convento dei Minori Osservanti della C. Notabile
6. Volumi di Mandati
7. Messa delle Vettovaglie
8. Registro delle Insinue
9. Registri delle Suppliche
10. Lettere, chirografi, ordini
11. Atti Giudiziali
12. Miscellanea

B. Università della Città Valletta

1. Tempore Ordinis
2. Tempore Brittanorum
3. Miscellanea

Codices and Library Manuscripts

The Codices and Library manuscripts, which number 1617 in all, are not divided into categories, as are the archival records. There exists a printed catalogue in numerical order of manuscripts as well as a card index by author and by subject to facilitate retrieval of documents. Both are available in the Reading Room.