Mission

Established in 1938, the mission of the Loyola University Chicago Archives & Special Collections is to serve as the University's institutional memory by collecting, preserving, and making accessible the history of Loyola University Chicago, and as an educational resource for the Loyola community and beyond by providing unique archival collections and rare books for study and teaching.

The Loyola Archives & Special Collections currently holds over 15,000 linear feet of archival collections focusing on Chicago history, Catholic history, United States history, business, university history, politics, civil rights, and entertainment, among other subjects.

The Rare Book Collection holds over 22,000 rare books in multiple languages including Latin, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, Polish, Native American languages, Gaelic, Arabic, Greek, Japanese, and Hebrew; and has strengths in British and American history, British and American literature, British drama, theology, philosophy, exploration and travel, medicine, and the sciences. A highlight of the collection is the Jesuitica collection. Spanning across disciplines and subjects, the Jesuitica collection includes a first edition of the Spiritual Exercises, Chinese mission texts, sermons, and books by notable Jesuits such as Boscovich, Kircher, and Charlevoix. It is also notable for its anti-Jesuit works. Considered one of the major collections of Jesuitica in the United States, it is internationally recognized.

 

For more information about Loyola University Chicago see Loyola University Chicago by Kathryn A. Young and Ashley Howdeshell (The Campus History Series, Arcadia Publishing, 2020). Available at  https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467105590 .