Loma Linda University has a long history of collecting Adventist materials. The old "Historical Records" office, which housed original Ellen G. White documents pertaining to the history of the College of Medical Evangelists, was small indeed, but it paved the way for the immense and developed collections now housed at Loma Linda's Department of Archives and Special Collections. Today this department offers researchers from around the world a wide-range of materials from local Loma Linda history, other Adventist institutions, to information regarding the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Serious efforts in collecting and organizing the research collection began with the establishment of the Department of Archives and Special Collections. Now connected to the Del E. Webb Memorial Library, the Department of Archives and Special Collections has been the recipient of major denominational collections. The first came as a gift from Clair Burton Clark, a Seventh-day Adventist layman who privately collected books, periodicals, and other primary sources relating to the history of Adventism. Additionally, the Peterson Collection, acquired from the New York Public Library, and the Lebowitz Collection have also added significantly to the department's holdings.
The James F. Barnard Endowment fund is of great value to the growth of collections in the department. Established after Dr. Barnard's death in 1981, the endowment is a valuable source of funds that allow the department to expand its collections and begin new projects.
Through departmental purchases and numerous large and small donations, Loma Linda University's Department of Archives and Special Collections now has one of the significant research collections of Adventist source materials worldwide. The aim of the department is to share these resources with scholars, students, and other researchers.
The Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office, housed in the same location, but administratively separate, is also an important part of the department. This branch office makes available at Loma Linda University the full resources of the White Estate. These research materials are primarily available to the students and faculty of the University as well as to others in the western part of the , although anyone traveling to the office is a welcome patron. Opened originally as a Research Center, the facility was expanded to a full Branch Office in 1985. Ellen White established the White Estate by terms of her will to preserve her writings as well as promote a better understanding of their on-going value to the church. The White Estate Branch Office complements the expanding Adventist Heritage Collection and continues in its tradition of service to the denomination. The Branch Office and the Department of Archives and Special Collections are housed together in the Del E. Webb Memorial Library. Patrons are welcome in the C. Burton Clark Heritage Room—the department's Reading Room—to research.
 |
||
|
 |
|
 |
||
Last Revised: Thu, Sep 27, 2007