Fratel Ezio Tonini was born in Terlago, Trento, Italy, in 1939. He became a member of the Comunità Pavoniana in 1956 and lived in Italy until 1969, before moving to Asmära, Ethiopia, in September 1970 and working within the Comunità Pavoniana and at the Asmära University, founded by the Comboni Missionary Sisters (Piae Matres Nigritiae) in 1958. Tonini helped to reorganize the library and the archives. He spent more than 45 years in Ethiopia and was very active during this long period in many positions as librarian, administrator, and educator. Tonini was dedicated to collecting rare manuscripts in Tǝgrǝñña and other Eritrean languages. He was also active in publishing books meant for students and young Eritreans working as staff in the library. He edited the journal Quaderni di Studi Etiopici (የኢትዮጵያጥነቶችመጽሔት።) which he founded in Asmära, and which was published by the ‘Centro di Studi Etiopici’ (‘Ethiopian Studies Centre’, መካነምርምራስለፍልጠትኢትዮጵያ), based at his library.