Library Collections

Wallace Library strives to provide resources that support current coursework and research as well as anticipated future needs. With new formats, technologies, and changes in access, we focus on selecting materials that are scholarly, authoritative, and timely to sustain the curricular needs of our students and faculty. Search the library catalog to find items in our collections. For help finding an item, please ask at the Information Desk in the Atrium on the library’s Main Level, and we’ll be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.

We recognize that users will encounter offensive or harmful language in descriptions of the works in our collection. Please read our statement on harmful language in collections, cataloging, and description.

Books

Circulating Book Collection – Our main collection is located on the Stacks Level and organized by Library of Congress call numbers. Call numbers A-Ps are found in the main stacks room. Call numbers Ps-Z as well as Quarto and Folio books are found in the second stacks room.

Fine Arts – Our comprehensive fine arts collection (Library of Congress Call number N) is located on the First and Second Mezzanines of the Atrium and in the Clark Room between the First and Second Mezzanines. This collection includes books on visual arts, architecture, sculpture, drawing, design, illustration, painting, print media, decorative arts, and arts in general.

Wheaton Authors – Our collection of books by Wheaton staff and alumni is located in the Merrill Room on the first mezzanine.

Faculty In Print – Our collection of books by Wheaton faculty, past and present, is also located in the Merrill Room on the first mezzanine.

New Books – Our collection of new books includes popular novels and non-fiction. It’s located on the Main Level near the front entrance.

Reference – Our print reference collection includes dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, and other reference works. This collection is located in the Reference Reading Room on the Main Level and is non-circulating.

Rare Books & Special Collections – For information about our special collections, please refer to the Gebbie Archives & Special Collections. These books don’t circulate but are available by request.

Periodicals

Journals – Our collection of physical journals can be found in the compact storage shelves on the Stacks Level. Most of our periodicals are available in digital format and can be found through the catalog or Browzine. Older periodicals may also be found in the archives, by appointment with the archivist.

Journals on Microform/Microfiche – Microfilm and microfiche are located behind the compact shelving on the Stacks Level. The microform reader is next to the Information Desk on the Main Level, where staff will be happy to help you.

Music Scores and Audiovisual Materials

Music Scores – Our large collection of music scores is located in the compact shelving on the Stacks Level. These are non-circulating.

Audio – Music and spoken-word CDs, tapes, and vinyl records are located in the Music Seminar Room on the Stacks Level. Ask at the Information Desk for assistance locating any needed materials.

Video – Our DVD collection is held behind the Information Desk. Our collection of VHS recordings have been digitized and can be found in the catalog.

Board Game Collection – Our collection of board games is located on the Periodicals Level. Please feel free to browse, sit and play games, or borrow them for up to 3 days.

Electronic Resources

Journals – Full-text electronic journals can be found both through the library catalog and through BrowZine. Download the BrowZine app on your phone or tablet to save titles to your shelf and get notified when new issues are released.

Newspapers

A free subscription to the New York Times is one of the perks of being part of the Wheaton community. While on campus, use your @wheatoncollege.edu email address to sign up, and then use the website or the app on any device, anywhere.

Other electronic newspaper collections can be found among our databases.

Ebooks

You’ll find nearly 200,000 ebooks in the library catalog, including titles from ACLS Humanities Ebooks, Ebook Central, and JSTOR .

Streaming Video

We have over 80,000 streaming video titles available through collections such as Alexander Street Press, Academic Video Online, and Infobase Films on Demand.

Reference Works

The library catalog contains hundreds of online reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and almanacs.

Unique Digital Collections

The Wheaton College Digital Repository

Wheaton College’s digital repository is a platform where we collect, preserve, and distribute born-digital and digitized scholarship and materials. Note: To access the entirety of the Repository, you will need to login with your Wheaton wID and password.

College Communications – Official publications of Wheaton College offices
Curricular Materials – Courses offered at Wheaton College and their syllabi (login for full access)
Faculty Governance – Meeting minutes and supporting documents from the Academic Division of the College (login for full access)
Resources for Teaching & Research – Learning objects derived from student- and faculty-authored research and digital projects
Works by Faculty – Faculty-authored research and projects
Works by Students – Student-authored research, journals, theses, literature, and visual arts

Niké Yearbooks

Published continuously since 1916 and digitized in 2021, Niké is the Wheaton College yearbook.

ArtSTOR

ArtSTOR has partnered with museums, libraries, photographers, and photographic archives to create an enormous collection of images for teaching and research in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Wheaton’s Collections in ArtSTOR

Wheaton College Banner Collection – commencement and reunion banners, 1901-Present.
Wheaton College Campus Views – art and architecture brochures and publications featuring the Wheaton College campus.
Wheaton College Digital Resources for Teaching and Research – published for the 2019 Council of Independent College's Consortium on Digital Resources for Teaching and Research grant. The purpose of this collection is to demonstrate how 3D models can be presented on JSTOR forum. For more information on how 3D models are created, please reference the "Instructables" document in this collection.
Marion B. Gebbie Archives Image Collection – archival photographs that encompasses the people, places, events, and traditions unique to Wheaton College.
Wheaton College Shell Collection – seashells from Wheaton's biology department that represents many species of mollusks. All were collected at different times and by many collectors and are made available on ArtSTOR thanks to funding from the Council of Independent Colleges' Consortium on Digital Resources for Teaching and Research.
Wheaton College Permanent Collection – images of art and artifacts from Wheaton's Permanent (art) Collection. Learn more at the Permanent Collection webpage. Note: To access this collection, you’ll need to provide your Wheaton wID and password.
Wheaton College Visual Resources Collection – images for teaching and research at Wheaton College. Note: To access this collection, you’ll need to provide your Wheaton wID and password.
Wheaton College Virtual Picture Book Collection – The picture books featured in this collection were completed as the final project for the fall 2020 Education 240 course, Multiple Perspectives on Literacy, taught by Mary Lee Prescott-Griffin, Ph.D., Professor of Education and Co-Founder, Wheaton Contemplative Studies Initiative (CSI) at Wheaton College.

Archive-It

The Wheaton College Web Archive is a collection of snapshots of Wheaton’s web presence from July 2020 to present.

ArchivesSpace

ArchivesSpace is the database from which you can search Wheaton's archival holdings.