The Historic New Orleans Collection has acquired the library collection of the Ursuline Sisters of New Orleans, an extraordinary collection of rare books and library materials dating back nearly four centuries. The 1,900 books contain many unique items, including a collection of Southern colonial materials believed to be the only ones in existence. According to Charles Nolan, archivist for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, "the Ursuline library collection is probably the most extensive early Southern Catholic library that exits." The Ursuline Order established their community in New Orleans in 1727.

The Williams Research Center of the Historic New Orleans Collection plans to make the Ursuline materials widely accessible. In addition to customized cataloging to be completed by OCLC's TECHPRO Unit, the catalogued Ursuline records will be entered into the WorldCat database (the OCLC Online Union Catalog) of nearly 38 million records, a research "first" for many of these Ursuline titles. Inquiries about the acquisition and its use, contact Gerald F. Patout Jr., Head Librarian, Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 or by e-mail: gerald@hnoc.org.