Wardman Library

Bonnie Bell Wardman Library and the Rose Hills Center for Library and Information Resources is Whittier College's central library. It offers students, faculty, and staff spaces and tools for many different kinds of research and learning activities.

About

Currently the collection totals 200,000+ volumes, with over 300 print journal subscriptions and access to 17,000+ electronic subscriptions and 138,000+ eBooks. Circulation, reference, and interlibrary loan services are available to all members of the Whittier College community. The Library is also a member of LINK+, a patron-initiated interlibrary loan system that allows for resource sharing with over 60 other libraries.

In addition to its main collection, Wardman Library curates a wide assortment of historical materials. Special collections are tied to the Quakers and the College's history, and the Library also hosts on its main floor the Whittier Area Genealogical Society's (WAGS) extensive collection of research materials. Researchers can access these special collections by appointment. The Special Collections includes 100 years of The Quaker Campus, historical materials related to the town of Whittier, photographs and autograph letters by John Greenleaf Whittier, papers of and about Jessamyn West, Quaker autobiographies, and a large collection of Richard M. Nixon historical materials.

According to its website:

Wardman Library is committed to: Serving as the intellectual hub of Whittier College, and a welcoming place for individual and collaborative learning; assisting and instructing patrons in discovering, evaluating, and utilizing scholarly information; building, maintaining, and providing access to carefully selected print, media, and electronic resources in order to support the varied scholarly endeavors of our patrons; collaborating with patrons to discover new tools and resources in an effort to integrate technology into the learning environment; maintaining a highly qualified, dedicated, and responsive staff; fostering a comfortable and enjoyable environment conducive to research, study, relaxation, and reflection.

Mission Statement

Bonnie Bell Wardman Library supports the research, curricular, and information needs of the students and faculty of Whittier College. The staff works to develop the critical thinking and information literacy skills of the diverse community at our four year, liberal arts institution with the goal of nurturing patrons' intellectual independence and commitment to lifelong learning. To this end, we provide traditional and cutting edge information resources, and instructional, media, and technological support in the library as well as in classrooms.

History

Between the 1930s and 1960s, the library was housed in Mendenhall. In 1964, the Bonnie Bell Wardman Library was completed for $1.5 million with the financial support of local philanthropist William John Aubrey Wardman. The library was dedicated in 1965 with Richard N. Nixon present. In 2003 the library was renovated with the support from the Rose Hills Foundation and renamed the Rose Hills Center for Library and Information Resources.

External Links

Wardman Library Website