Library and Archive Policies

At Meadville Lombard, archiving is a form of justice making work. From preservation to digitization, we work to make the richness and diversity of Unitarian Universalism's history freely and easily available to anyone who seeks it. We have been collecting history for over 175 years and hold material from students and scholars, laity and ministers, and congregations and organizations around the world. As the only exclusively UU archive, we take seriously the trust our community has placed in us to preserve our shared history.

Meadville Lombard has over 400 physical and digital archival collections, with topics ranging from Puritanism to Paganism, and everything in between. Our emphasis is liberal religion in the west, 20th century Unitarian Universalism, and communities underserved and excluded by traditional archives. We are particularly proud of our UUA Congregational Records, which tell the story of every Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist congregation from the 1920s to the 1990s.

All materials from the Meadville Lombard Archives have a collection number, collection name, and box number that should be included in any citation. Processed collections will often include folder numbers and digitized collections will include item numbers that should also included.

For purposes of archival citations, the formal name of the Meadville Lombard Archives is "Archives and Special Collections, Meadville Lombard Theological School."

If you have any questions about citing items from the Meadville Lombard Archives and Special collections, please email archives@meadville.edu.