Members of the general public are welcome to use the materials held at the Wade Center, and there is no fee to do so. Please note that children junior high school age or younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Appointments for Reading Room reservations are encouraged to ensure staffing and material availability. Walk-ins are welcome but may have limited services depending on staffing and material availability. In order to facilitate your visit, we offer the following guidelines:
- Review our hours and closings and inform the Wade Center in advance of the dates you intend to use the Reading Room. Our staff will confirm that the timing of your visit does not conflict with other Wade events or closures.
- Please provide the archival staff with specifics about the topics or materials you wish to investigate for your research. Note that some materials require advanced notice for retrieval.
- If you wish to fill out a Reading Room Application before you come, feel free to submit one via the online form, or print off a copy and have it ready when you arrive. Application forms are also available in the Reading Room. (Note that your visit date and time must be confirmed by a Wade staff member before you submit an application form.)
- Information on directions and parking, accommodations, and meals is available on the Visitor Information page.
- Plan to bring pencils and a photo ID with you, and be sure to read the Reading Room Guidelines before you come.
- Laptops, iPads, tablets, etc. are welcome in the Reading Room. The research tables are outfitted with power outlets, and free Wi-Fi is available. Off-Campus visitors using the Reading Room have the following options for internet connectivity:
- Use the campus "WC-Guest" Wi-Fi network to register your device on your browser when you arrive at the Wade Center. Guests who have existing "eduroam" accounts may also use Wheaton's eduroam wireless network.
- For brief internet browsing and library catalog access, the Wade Center has a public access terminal in the Reading Room.
- Library, the main Wheaton College campus library, may also be used for visitor web access.
- Other resources and policies you may wish to consult regarding the usage of Wade Center materials:
- Overview of Copying and Permissions Policies
- Photo loan Request Procedures
- Contacting Author Literary Estates
- Citing Wade Center Materials: A Guide
- How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen. F+W Media, 2011. (recommended by David C. Downing, Co-Director of the Wade Center)
Please let us know if you have any additional questions or need further assistance planning your research visit.
Want to learn more about conducting archival research? Read the guide Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research written by Laura Schmidt, Wade Center archivist.