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.
1. Upon arrival, please sign-in at the Reading Room desk.
2. The Reading Room is designated for study or reading relating to the Wade Center authors only.
3. Please use our copies of books and materials; personal or library books should be left outside of the Reading Room.
4. Laptops and other devices are welcome, but storage cases must be left outside the Reading Room at a coat rack or in a locker.
- Wheaton College staff, faculty, and students are provided with Wi-Fi via their registered personal devices.
- For off-campus visitors who would like Wi-Fi / Internet access, see our Reading Room Appointments page, item #6.
5. No food, drink, or gum in the Reading Room.
6. Please use pencil only when taking notes, and handle all materials with care.
7. Cameras and other devices may not be used to take photographs of materials without permission. See our Duplication Services page for more details. Please talk to the Wade's archival staff before taking any photographs or scans.
8. All materials are non-circulating and must remain in the Reading Room.
9. We ask that you hang your coat on the coat rack in the entryway of the Wade Center, or on the hooks in the hallway outside the Reading Room.
10. All backpacks, briefcases, purses or other bags must be stored at a coat rack or in a locker. You may see the Reading Room attendant for a locker key at no charge.
11. Cell phone ringers must be turned off. Calls made or received should take place outside the Reading Room.
12. Please allow our archival staff to re-shelve books or other materials. Place them on the designated re-shelving cart when you are done using them.
13. Reading Room staff reserve the right to request photo identification.
14. Please note that any reproductions or transcriptions of collection materials (especially previously unpublished manuscript materials) will require additional written permissions from the Wade Center and copyright holder before publication in print or digital format. Further, reproductions and transcriptions are provided for the research use of the researcher only, and may not be transferred or deposited to another researcher or institution. Contact the Wade for more information about permissions, etc.