Library newsletter #67

Welcome to the Library Newsletter, a monthly update sent to all UM staff and students. We will send you the latest notices issued by the UM Library, its developments, services, resources, workshops and more. Make sure to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram.

Send any comments and/or feedback to library@um.edu.mt.

Library extended opening hours

The Library is extending its opening hours from Monday, 5 January 2026 till Thursday, 5 February 2026.

The Main Library Study Halls on Level II and Level III will open on:

• Mondays to Fridays: 07:00 - 23:00
• Saturdays: 09:00 - 16:45
• Sundays & Public Holidays: 09:00 - 16:45

The Circulation Desk, Melitensia and Reference Departments will be closed during the extended opening hours.

Book transactions (borrowing & returning books) are carried out until 20:00 during Weekdays and until 12:15 on Saturdays.

Prof. Mario Buhagiar: A Lifetime of Scholarship 

The Library is pleased to announce an exhibition displaying a selection of works from Prof. Mario Buhagiar’s special collection.

Over the past three years Prof. Buhagiar has generously donated works from his personal library, allowing the UM library to build a special collection of books and papers of interest to a wide range of researchers. His donation represents a life-time’s work of research and collecting in areas such as Early Christian art, architecture and urban studies, local ecclesiastical history and parishes, together with works on the Maltese language, literature and folklore.

The works will be on display in the Library exhibition area from Monday, 12 January until Friday, 27 February 2026.

Laws and Theology Library

Collection expansion
We are pleased to announce a significant expansion of our library collection:

• Theology: Thanks to a generous number of book donations, our theological holdings have been substantially enriched.
• Law: Our legal collection continues to grow through new acquisitions and selected donations, including several works by Maltese authors.

All newly acquired titles have been fully catalogued and are now available to all University of Malta account holders. These resources, along with our full collection, can be accessed via the HyDi.

Maintaining a productive study environment
As a reminder, the library is a quiet study space intended to support concentration and academic work. To help us maintain a welcoming and well-kept environment:

• Water in transparent bottles is permitted.
• Food and all other drinks are strictly prohibited.

Student wellbeing
To support student wellbeing and help manage study-related stress, stress balls and fidget toys are available for use. Kindly remember to return them to the designated basket before leaving the library.

Opening hours
We look forward to welcoming you during our operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 8:00 - 12:30; 13:30 - 16:00

What's new in Melitensia 

Melitensia's book of the month – January 2026 

Rajt Malta tinbidel written by Herbert Ganado, and published by Klabb Kotba Maltin.

In his four-volume autobiographical work Rajt Malta tinbidel (I Have Seen Malta Changing), Herbert Ganado (1906-1979) recounts the social and political transformation Malta underwent from the late nineteenth century to the final quarter of the twentieth century. Writing in a crisp and direct style, Ganado reflects on everyday life, major historical events and key political developments, including the two World Wars and Malta’s journey from colony to an independent state. In this new edition, which includes an introduction by Judge Giovanni Bonello, Ganado’s books continue to be valued both for their vivid personal narratives and for their cultural and historical record of a nation in transition.

The list of new Melitensia acquisitions is available online.