Library and Archive Policies

Since our founding in 1844, the primary mission of the Library and Archives at Meadville Lombard Theological School has been to support our students in their development as religious leaders and to acquire and provide access to print and digital information resources that document the living history, theology, culture, and people of Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism specifically and religion more broadly. We continue this work by serving students, faculty, and the broader Unitarian Universalist community and the diverse faith traditions with which we are in relationship. Understanding that the task of providing information services is fundamentally a work for justice, we strive to create resources and services that provide our patrons the information and tools for self-reflection and exploration of the world that inspire and promote the collaborative work of liberation. 

The Library and Archives at Meadville Lombard Theological School serves the school's mission by supporting students and faculty in their teaching, learning, and research by providing physical and digital access to current, useful, and engaged information resources and services.

Current: The Library and Archives continually acquires new material, reflecting current scholarship, events, and changes to the curriculum. Library and archive resources, services, and policies are frequently iterated and updated based on current best practices in theological education and librarianship to foster scholarly excellence among our students and faculty. Librarians collaborate with faculty in curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation.

Useful: Information resources and services are easily accessible and tailored to support Meadville Lombard's patrons and curriculum. Information resources and services center interculturality and the many identities our students carry with them.  Librarians and archivists are accessible to all patrons and able to provide timely reference, instruction, and other support both on campus and at a distance. Information resources and services aid in students' formation as spiritual and ethical learners and leaders.  

Engaged: Information resources and services support engagement with the larger world to dismantle present injustices. Archival holdings reveal the diversity and complexity of our shared past to help patrons reshape and reform tradition and facilitate accountability for historical wrongs. Librarians and archivists assist students, faculty, and community patrons in leading innovative ministries and building Beloved Community. 

The polices contained here cover who has access to particular library resources, what library resources we provide, and how library resources are selected. Policies should reflect our values and we work to ensure our policies embody our mission and ethical commitments. All polices are judged for their currentness, usefulness, and engagement. 

The Wiggin Library is the collection of print books and digital resources owned by Meadville Lombard in addition to online library database and reference resources subscribed to by Meadville Lombard

The Meadville Lombard Archives and Special Collections consists of the physical archival resources, digitized copies of physical archival resources, born digital archives resources, and the Rare Books collections.

All policies are subject to change. The Library and Archives is continually updating and iterating its resources and polices based on resource use, surveys, patron feedback, and changes to the Meadville Lombard curriculum. The last substantial edit to the Library and Archives Polices page was on September 24, 2021.