The Wiggin Library has been a cornerstone of Meadville Lombard since its beginning in 1844. The library was founded by Frederic Huidekoper, son of our founder and Meadville Lombard's first professor and librarian, who put his personal library at the disposal of the institution. The Wiggin Library is now a technology focused center that is one of the foremost resources for the study of liberal religion. Our emphasis on technology has allowed us to work collaboratively with the greater world and share our collection, developing an innovative way to use and access our resources. 

In addition to the many materials in Unitarian and Universalist history and theology, the library offers excellent resources in philosophy and nineteenth-century American culture and thought, as well as in comparative religion and social ethics.  Meadville Lombard is focused on the future, our library collection now includes a number of resources for new areas of concern such as ecology, religion, and science.

The Wiggin Library contains over 40,000 volumes and 120 currently received periodicals, as well as dozens of runs of historical serials. We also boast papers and collections from some of our most prominent ministers, including: William Ellery Channing, Jenkin Lloyd Jones, A. Powell Davies, Charles Lyttle, Jack Mendelsohn, Kenneth Patton, Vincent B. Silliman, Arthur Foote, John Hayward, and Wallace Robbins.

The Meadville Lombard collection is open to all and can be accessed using our online catalog. We also encourage you to access the archival, manuscript, and religious education collections, which can be arranged by contacting a librarian.

In addition to Meadville Lombard's own outstanding collection of resources we collaborate with the University of Chicago and the libraries at other ACTS schools, to provide our students with extensive resources to enhance their studies.

Our library catalog has searchable materials that have been aquired from 1979 to present, and selected, older, Unitarian Universalist materials. For most pre-1979 holdings, you please contact the Library Assistant.

Currently, manual setup of the circulation system does not allow the library staff to record whether a book is checked out. All books in the electronic catalog will show as available, to confirm the status of a book, contact the library assistant.

The Wiggin Library subscribes to a number of electronic databases, which include access to WorldCat, a catalog of thousands of holding libraries across the globe, and various electronic journals. Search these databases at FirstSearch or EBSCO. Contact a librarian for username and password details.

Most circulation is now done through the mail. After finding a book in the catalog, email the Library Assistant with a circulation request that includes the bibliographic information for the book(s) and a mailing address. Patrons in the Chicago area may visit the stacks by appointment, Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00. Books are due at the end of the semester.

Books (excluding reserve materials) may be renewed by mail, telephone, fax, email, or in person. However, all materials must be returned at the end of spring semester for the end-of-the-year recall.

Books are due at the end of the semester (or as stated below for non-ML students). You may renew books if you need them beyond their due dates. Items can be renewed over the phone, by mail, email, or in person. All books must be returned on or before the last day of spring semester. You will be notified when fines begin to accrue.

You are responsible for replacement costs on any book that is lost. Students will be unable to graduate until they have settled such fines with the library.

Reserve materials circulate to current students/faculty of Meadville Lombard for two weeks. They can be checked out in person or through the mail and are neither subject to recall nor eligible for renewal. All reserve books are due back two weeks before the relevant class begins. Reserve books do not circulate while intensive classes are in session.

Periodicals, pamphlets, rare books, reference materials, archival materials, and MTS theses are non-circulating. Except for copying, non-circulating materials must be used in the Archive Study Room. Any other use requires written permission from a library staff member.

If there is a book that we do not have and it is available at another library, you may request an interlibrary loan. Contact the Library Assistant for more information.

Students and faculty from the ACTS schools must present current identification and fill out a brief form in the library office before checking out materials; a limit of three books may be checked out.

UU Ministers and D/MREs may request up to three books to be mailed to them. Items may be checked out for up to one month. A small fee will be charged for photocopy requests.

Meadville Lombard students and faculty enjoy full privileges at the nine libraries of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools and access privileges to the University of Chicago libraries. The university system contains nearly seven million volumes.  Students, faculty and staff can obtain library privileges at the University of Chicago Library with an ACTS and Meadville Lombard identification card.

Click here for the University of Chicago Library online catalog 

For further information, please contact:  
The ID and Privileges Office of The University of Chicago
Phone: (773) 702-3344 
Fax: (773) 702-6623 
Location: Lobby of the Regenstein Library, 1100 East 57th St , #100F, Chicago, IL 60637

The Association of Chicago Theological Schools, or ACTS, is a consortium of twelve theological schools in the Chicago area that cooperate among the member institutions in the areas of student cross-registration and library access and acquisitions. Access to ACTS adds over two million theologically related works to your library resources. 

In order to borrow books from any of the ACTS member libraries, you will need an ACTS library card.  For more information, please contact the Library Assistant.

Click here to access the ACTS Library Council Site