The Principia Archives includes the historical institutional archives and some special collections, such as the Maybeck and White Collection (with Principia College's 1st Architect, Bernard R. Maybeck), Maybeck Architectural Renderings, Paul O. Williams Papers, Principia Photograph Collection, Principia Scrapbook Collection, Principia Alumni Purpose Magazine, Principia Course Catalogs, and Principia Yearbook Collection (Sheaf and Blade) - the majority of yearbooks have been digitized and are available online.
Questions? Contact Melody Hauf-Belden, Principia Archivist and Special Collections Librarian.
Marshall Brooks Library is a federal depository of government information. There are approximately 1,200 Federal depository libraries throughout the United States and its territories, and they can be found in almost every Congressional District. The Marshall Brooks Library at Principia College serves the 13th Congressional District of Illinois. We provide free public access to a wide variety of federal government information resources in both print and electronic formats, and we have expert staff available to assist users. We have been designated a federal depository library since 1957. Please feel free to visit or contact us with questions about government documents. Our government documents main collection is housed on the 3rd floor. The Library Home Page, available on all public terminals, links to several key online resources and also provides access to the U.S. Catalog of Government Publications (CGP) - a tool for searching government publications. Our staff is happy to help you master these resources and locate the documents you need.
Government Documents Questions? Contact Colleen Turkal, Information Literacy Coordinator and Government Documents Librarian.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Collection is housed in the College library. The rare book collection includes incunabula, rare Bibles, books with fore-edge paintings, first editions, such as Paradise Lost, notes from Virginia Wolfe and Oscar Wilde, The Great River by Frederick Oakes Sylvester (Principia's 1st Art Director), and other literary treasures. The collection also contains many items relating to the history and study of Christian Science. This collection is found in the Principia College Marshall Brooks Library catalog.
Rare Book Questions? Contact Melody Hauf-Belden, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian (618) 374-5238.
The origin of the School of Nations collection can be traced back to 1926 when Mrs. Hazel Buck Ewing, one of Principia's Trustees, envisioned a school of international relations as a way of helping to fulfill Principia's educational purpose. In support of that purpose, she gave the first donations of cultural artifacts to the institution. She wanted Principians to have a deep understanding of world cultures, apply the Golden Rule in international affairs, and help bring peace to our world. Today, the artifact collection is comprised primarily of items donated by alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the institution.
The collection is global in nature, representing cultures from six of the seven continents. The strengths of the cultural artifacts collection include:
In addition to the items in the permanent collection, the Educational Collection includes objects that are available for interactive, educational use on Principia’s two campuses.
School of Nations Collection Questions? Contact Mark Geis, Public Services Manager and Collections Registrar (618) 374-5073.
In an effort to make the Principia Collections accessible to the community, the Marshall Brooks Library administers a Campus Art Loan Program. Through this program, select works of art are available for loan on both campuses to eligible departments and offices and for exhibit in appropriate public spaces. To request items, please use the form below.
Campus Art Loan Program Questions? Contact Mark Geis, Public Services Manager and Collections Registrar (618) 374-5073.