The 2026-27 academic year marks a special anniversary for Galter Library: 100 years since the founding of a library dedicated to the school of medicine's mission to train the next generation of physicians and medical researchers.
The heart of this, as of any institution of higher learning, is its LIBRARY, a library so complete, so broad in scope, so accessible that it will satisfy the most eager student mind and the needs of the most exacting scientific research.
Dedication Address, Archibald Church Medical Library, 1927
While a library had existed intermittently before the 1920s, it served as more of a book repository sparingly supervised by faculty, alumni, or even the registrar's office.
In 1924, Archibald Church, MD, the longtime chair of the medical school’s Department of Nervous and Mental Diseases, donated funds to endow a medical library to support the medical school’s students, educators, and researchers. The library was able to hire qualified staff who furnished the library with books, journals, and even a rare book collection. By the 1930s, it had become the third largest medical library in the country.
At right: Archibald Church at the May 1925 groundbreaking ceremony for the Chicago campus.
Events
In conjunction with the University’s 175th anniversary, Galter Library is making plans for events celebrating our centennial in 2027. Check back for details in the months to come.
Library Space
The images below show how the library has endured and adapted as a space for patrons to gather, and how it has always served as a place for students and faculty alike to study and research.
1927 - The main entrance to the Ward Building
1927 - The first picture of the Archibald Church Library
1949 - The library remained virtually unchanged until the 1960s
1965 - The construction of the Searle building added much more space to the library
1975 - Remodeling moved the library entrance to Superior Street
Circa 1990 - Jack & Dollie Galter pledge $10 million to renovate the library
1996 - The Eckenhoff Reading Room in the newly renamed Galter Library
2026 - The Eckenhoff Reading Room as it looks today
The library has undergone four major renovations in the last 100 years, often adding resources and library services in addition to the square footage needed to accommodate collections and study space. Librarians of the past concentrated their work on acquiring, cataloging, and indexing publications in order to guide patrons to the information they need and to teach them how to best to use the library's vast resources.
Today's library staff do the same and much more. From systematic review consults to publication support, from research data management to clinical librarians providing evidence-based research on the spot, Galter Library provides patrons with the services they need to fulfill the education, research, and clinical mission of the Feinberg School of Medicine.
Chicago Campus History
From the South Side to Streeterville
The Creation of the Chicago CampusThis exhibit explores the circumstances of the medical school’s move from Chicago's near south side to the new neighborhood of Streeterville.
Coming March 2027
A new exhibit will detail the construction and architecture of the Ward Memorial Building, the medical school's expanding research portfolio, women's inclusion in the student body, and the founding of the library.
Other exhibits have highlighted 100 years of women faculty at the medical school, trailblazing alumni/ae, and the story of the Northwestern University Woman's Medical School.
Philanthropic support plays a vital role in sustaining Galter Library’s services and resources. Your contribution helps ensure that we can continue to meet the evolving needs of the Feinberg community.