Library Quick Links
Online Databases
Collection and Catalog Listings
- Video on DVD
- Video on VHS
- Audiobooks
- Music Cds
- Periodicals
- Rare Books
- Chicago Jewish Archives
- Yemenite Manuscripts
Contact
Asher Library
Hours:
Sunday 10 am-4 pm
Monday-Weds.10 am-6 pm
Thursday 10 am-7 pm
Friday 10 am-3 pm
(closed 2:15 Fri. during winter)
asherlib@spertus.edu
312.322.1749
Chicago Jewish Archives
open by appointment only
archives@spertus.edu
312.322.1741
General Collections
Books & Audiobooks collections contain more than 105,000 books on virtually every Jewish topic imaginable, from Bible and Talmud, to modern Jewish fiction and the state of Israel, in nearly a dozen different languages, all of which are available for loan. Search the online catalog for titles.
Newspapers & Periodicals include over 550 current newspaper and magazine subscriptions from around the world, and more than 12,000 bound periodicals, dating to the 18th century, in approximately a dozen languages.
Online Resources provide in-house and remote access to the full-text of more than a thousand books and tens of thousands of journal articles, in both Jewish and general studies, accessible via the Internet. The library also maintains a collection of Judaica and Hebraica software programs for loan.
Videos number more than 1,000 Jewish-interest documentaries and feature films on VHS and DVD which can be borrowed, or viewed in the Library. Or, search the online catalog for a specific title.
Used Books For Sale at Asher Library
The following used books are for sale from the Asher Library. To purchase, or for more information, please contact Glenn Ferdman at 312-322-1753, or gferdman@spertus.edu.
» download the list (.pdf)
Special Collections
The Chicago Jewish Archives is the main repository of items dedicated to Chicago Jewish history. With over 1,300 linear feet of collections, the Archives collects historical material in all formats, including letters, diaries, photographs, memorabilia, audio and video tapes. Collections include the papers of families and individuals, Jewish organizations, synagogues, oral histories, and more.
Katzin Rare Book Room contains over 2,000 rare and valuable works of the Bible, Talmud, responsa, liturgy, ethics and mystical tracts, dating from the late 15th century, including many first edition works, including over 100 Yemenite manuscripts. It also houses the Muriel Yale Collection of Antique Maps of The Holy Land and Ottoman Empire, numbering more than 1,200 rare and valuable maps dating from the late 15th century.
The Fannie and Max Targ Jewish Music Collection consists of sound recordings, sheet music, books, scores, and manuscripts, in a variety of genres ranging from cantorial and classical to klezmer, Sephardic, and popular, in a variety of formats. Material from this collection may be borrowed, and visitors may also listen to recordings on-site. Search the online catalog for titles.
Badona Spertus Art Collection includes approximately 1,500 books and museum catalogs, some rare and valuable, related to Jewish art and artists. Search the online catalog for titles.
Levine Microform Collection consists of several thousand dissertations, and periodicals, and the Hebrew Books from the Harvard College Library, containing close to five thousand important Hebrew titles from Harvard's Library.
Bibliographies and Links (online soon) contains bibliographies on popular topics, listing books, journal articles, videos, music and online resources.