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The library and archives of Wheaton College are extensive and unique in their scope. With materials from Billy Graham, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, Frederick Buechner and many other Christian luminaries, these resources offer a treasure trove of information for students, scholars and visitors to study and enjoy.

Wheaton College Library interior

Wheaton College Library

Wheaton College Library provides collections, services, and study space at two locations on campus: the main library building and the third floor of the Billy Graham Hall. The library web site provides access to the library’s digital collections of books, journal articles, and academic databases. The library’s physical collections are extensive, and interlibrary loan service can provide Wheaton faculty and students with almost any item desired. More than 1,400 students visit the main library building each day during the academic year to study, meet with a faculty librarian for one-on-one research assistance, use computers and other technology, or attend a class. 

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Wheaton Archives & Special Collections

Wheaton College Archives and Special Collections

A department of the Wheaton College Library, Archives & Special Collections is the central repository for Wheaton College’s archival collections, including institutional archives, rare book and manuscript collections, and extensive holdings documenting global evangelism, missions, and evangelical Christian history. The collections are organized into three distinct record groups:

Evangelism & Missions Archives

The Evangelism & Missions Archives specializes in collecting and preserving unpublished materials relating to North American, nondenominational, Protestant, evangelistic activities and global missionary efforts, especially focused on the twentieth century, including the areas of mass evangelism, Bible translation, medical missions, Christian education, student movements, prison ministries, religious radio and television broadcasting, and political advocacy, among others. Collections include the records of organizations such as Africa Inland Mission, Overseas Missionary Fellowship, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, and Prison Fellowship; and the papers of individuals, including Billy Sunday, Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, Billy Graham, Donald McGavran, Chuck Colson, Corrie ten Boom, Harold Lindsell, and Aimee Semple McPherson. 

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Special Collections

Special Collections strives to collect, preserve, and promote materials related to the lives and legacies of significant adherents to the Christian faith, particularly those who have a significant relationship with Wheaton College and/or evangelical Christianity. The holdings include extensive collections on various writers, public figures, and subjects, including Frederick Buechner, Jacques Ellul, Madeleine L’Engle, Malcolm Muggeridge, Shakespeare in the Christian Tradition, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Sojourners. It also contains the Evangelism & Missions collection, a research-level book collection. 

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College Archives

College Archives exists to document the history of Wheaton College (1860 to the present) and its predecessor, the Illinois Institute (1853-1859). The archives holds papers, documents, photographs, and other materials about the people and events that are part of the college’s history, including extensive holdings on the college's eight presidents, major college publications, and the records of academic committees and departments. 

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Marion E. Wade Center Exterior Fall 2022 with clouds
Barfield, Chesterton, Lewis, MacDonald, Sayers, Tolkien, Williams

Marion E. Wade Center

The Marion E. Wade Center is a major research collection of materials by and about seven British authors: Owen Barfield, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Resources include original manuscripts and letters, first and later editions, books from the authors’ personal libraries, secondary studies, archives, sound and video recordings, including oral histories, photographs, artwork, dissertations, journals, and more. The Wade Center’s small museum features the Lewis family wardrobe, the writing desks of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and other displays. SEVEN, The Wade Center’s peer-reviewed journal, has been published since 1980. Programs such as book groups, lectures, and other events are also offered. 

 

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