Where are you located?

We are on the 4th floor of the Benedictine University Library, in Kindlon Hall. Stop at the circulation desk and they will point you in the right direction. You can see a campus map here.

When are you open? Do I need an appointment?

We are generally open 8-4 on weekdays. Because there are only a few staff members for these collections, it's still a good idea call or email ahead to make sure one of us is available. If evenings or weekends are the only time you can visit, we will work with you to arrange an appointment.

I don't attend Ben U. Can I still do research with your collections?

Yes! Please bring a valid passport or U.S. driver's license with you when you visit. For more details, read through the policies on the Using Our Collections page.

Can I bring my laptop?

Absolutely. You'll just need to leave its bag or case, along with coats, purses, and other extra stuff, outside the reading room. You can also bring a digital camera, notebook, and pencils. For more details, read through the policies on the Using Our Collections page.

What is a Finding Aid?

A finding aid is a descriptive guide to the contents of an archival collection. Because these collections often have items, such as unpublished papers, that are hard to catalog or index, the finding aid serves as a way to understand what is available and how or why the items or collection might be relevant to your research. Findingaids typically include information about the origin, history, content, date, and format of the papers/records. They also often contain detailed inventories of the items in the collection to help researchers locate relevant materials.

I have a bunch of old photos from when I attended the school. Can I donate these?

Maybe. We are always interested in seeing possible donations and are happy when people think of donating first before getting rid of something. Depending on what they are and how they fit into our collecting policy, we may be able to accept them. Contact us and read more about our donations guidelines.

When was the University founded?

Benedictine monks established St. Procopius College in 1887; "college" was used in a European sense, meaning high school rather than university. It was incorporated by the state of Illinois on April, 18th, 1890 and began including university level instruction, awarding its first Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1910.  St. Procopius College changed its name to Illinois Benedictine College in 1971 and became Benedictine University in 1996. Read more Ben U history (and see pictures) in the Benedictine History page and in our online exhibits.

Where can I find old issues of the campus paper and yearbooks?

We have digitized many past issues of The Procopian and The Eagle and are continuously adding more. You can see these in our virtual collection on The Internet Archive here. We also have paper copies of newspapers, yearbooks, and alumni directories in University Archives.

Why isn't everything from the collections online?

Putting things online takes time and resources, especially when materials are fragile and require special handling. In addition, some items may not be appropriate or legal to put online due to privacy and rights of individuals. We try to put up as many of the most commonly used items. We are always adding more, so keep checking our new and highlighted collections. If you don't see something, ask and we'll see what we can do.

I'm a faculty member and I found something really interesting related to what I'm teaching this semester. How can I use these materials with my students?

So glad you asked! We love to arrange visits for classes or small groups to view materials or provide class instruction learn more about conducting archival research. Depending on the materials, we may be able to bring them to your class (under librarian care, of course) for special instruction sessions. We have materials that could be useful to a wide variety of courses, from history and theology to science and education. Contact us and we'll work something out. 

I would love to help out in the archives. Do you accept volunteers and interns?

We do, depending on the projects and workspace currently available and the experience and interests of volunteers and interns. Most projects must be worked on during business hours. Other great ways to help include donating materials, encouraging others to donate, and spreading the word about all the great things in the archives to other members of the Ben U community.

Benedictine Library, 4th Floor