About the Wolfgram Library

  1. About Widener
  2. Campus & Community Resources
  3. Wolfgram Memorial Library
  4. About the Wolfgram Library

Mission

As the heart of the academic community and an information hub for researchers, the Wolfgram Memorial Library provides excellent service in support of advancing the academic mission of the University, student success and life-long learning. 

Vision 

We champion the development of learning spaces, both physical and virtual, where collaboration, relationship-building, and flexibility support academic endeavors and life-long learning. 

Shared Values 

The Wolfgram Memorial Library will build on its reputation as a welcoming research environment that holds itself accountable through reflection, learning, growth and adapting to better serve our community.

Wolfgram Memorial Library History

William Wolfgram

The Lieutenant William J. Wolfgram Memorial Library is named in memory of the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wolfgram of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lieutenant Wolfgram, who graduated from PMC in 1943 with high scholastic and military honors, was killed in action in Italy on April 16, 1945 while serving with the Tenth Mountain Division. After his death, his personal library was presented to the university and became the nucleus for a reference collection in English literature.

The library, dedicated in 1970, was designed by Vincent G. Kling and Associates. It is built of white brick and concrete, four stories and a penthouse high. Its imposing size, unusual triangular shape and pivotal location compel attention and make it the physical as well as the intellectual center of the university. Its main entrance, facing outward from the campus, invites the public to join with the university community in sharing its resources and facilities.

The library supports the academic programs of Widener University with a collection of over 180,000 volumes, 8,000 current print and electronic periodicals, 160,000 microfilms, access to over 100 online services, and a diverse collection of audiovisual and multimedia materials. Our diverse team of faculty librarians and staff keep the library open an average of 95 hours per week to assist students and faculty with effective use of these services.

For more information about our library, the history of our building, William Wolfgram, or the history of our institution, visit the Wolfgram Memorial Library Digital Collections to browse photos, documents, and more.

WOLFGRAM MEMORIAL LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS