Little did the Prussian Prince, Otto von Bismarck (the Iron Chancellor), know how great a benefactor of the Sacred Heart Franciscan Province and Quincy University he would be. When the Kulturkampf exiled a large number of Franciscans to the infant American province (at least 89 friars in the year 1875 alone), they brought along their talents, technology and tools (not to mention their rare books and art). Brenner Library is the repository of many rare books (including forty-one of the world's registered "incunabula"), as well as the "Bonaventure Collection" of research materials covering early and medieval history, including, Migne, Patrologia Latina et Graeca, and Corpus Christianorum.

During that first year after coming to this country, the friars were learning to "make-do". Fr. Servace Altmicks (who was to become the first president of Quincy University) was the "linguist" for the German-speaking friars; the cook, Br. Julius, had just built a two-story chicken coop with an attached stairway (according to folklorist/philosopher, Fr. Phil Hoebing); and Fr. Capistran Zwinge (who was to become Q.U.'s second president from 1862-1863) was occupied as bookbinder. One of those early bookbinders, Br. Adelbert Cichos, had applied to join the Saxony Province in Germany and was turned down because he had no trade. He learned a trade (bookbinding) but then applied, instead, to join the new American province in 1887 at 20 years of age. He held the position of bookbinder for over 50 years and trained Brother Raymond Pohlmeier, who also served 50 years until 1981. Although the friars have operated binderies in various houses within this province, the facility in Quincy University's Brenner Library is their only remaining bindery. It is an in-house service which does work only for Quincy University.

The work is done much the same as it was for hundreds of years - all books are hand sewn, glued and trimmed; covers are cut from cardboard (bristol board) stock and rolls of buckram, glued and assembled by hand. Hand tools, wooden clamps and presses dating back to before the end of the 19th century are used in the repair and construction of these "new" books. One piece of equipment still in use (a floor model "backer" clamp) has an 1867 copyright. The bindery is expected to cease operations permanently during the summer of 2000.