WHO WE ARE
The Congregational Library & Archives is a thriving, internationally-recognized research center serving professional historians, church members, and anyone wanting to understand more about a religious tradition that has deeply informed American history and culture.
The Congregational Library began in 1853 when eight people–five ministers, a lawyer, a doctor, and a widow–donated 56 books from their personal collections to form a library that documented the history of Puritanism and promoted the interests of Congregationalism. That original collection reveals a wide range of themes and topics that Congregationalists continue to wrestle with today, such as activism, sermon writing, theology, the inspirational roles of significant individuals, and the intersection of faith and society. Over more than a century and a half, those collections have grown to encompass a library of 225,000 books, pamphlets, periodicals, and manuscripts and a digital archive with more than 130,000 images, many drawn from our New England’s Hidden Histories Project.
The Congregational story is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, beginning with the seventeenth-century puritans, continuing in the activism of nineteenth-century abolitionists and social reformers, and appearing in the work modern-day Congregational churches devote to creating a just and open society.
The Congregational Library & Archives (CLA) undertook a strategic planning process between November 2024 and July 2025 to reflect on its priorities, to determine its goals, and to prepare for the future. With the help of Paper Crane Associates, a New England-based nonprofit consulting firm, the Board of Directors and staff committed to the following strategic direction and specific goals for the next five years.
By achieving these goals, the CLA will be stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient. It will be able to see its success in the illumination of fresh histories, the amplification of new voices, and the inspired communities that engage in the CLA’s programs.
Our Mission
The Congregational Library & Archives fosters a deeper understanding of the Congregational story and its ongoing relevance to contemporary society by collecting, preserving, and sharing materials and resources and by engaging faith communities, students, scholars, and the general public.
Our Vision
The Congregational Library & Archives envisions a world in which thoughtful and respectful preservation of materials generates exploration of stories related to faith and society. The CLA illuminates fresh histories, amplifies new voices, and inspires the communities of today and tomorrow.
Core Beliefs
• The CLA believes Congregationalism and Congregational stories are relevant, enlightening, and impactful today, not just historically.
• The CLA engages the principles and traditions of Congregationalism to illuminate and share its stories.
• The CLA knows that histories about diverse peoples have tremendous value and dedicates its work to finding and sharing them.
• The CLA seeks to examine the faith tradition and its impacts, even when it may result in discomfort, challenge, or revision.
• The CLA collects strategically, preserves responsibly, and encourages research in its collections.
• The CLA strives to make its library materials and programs accessible to people around the world.
Five-Year Goals
Preserve Congregational history
• Preserve, maintain, and make accessible materials related to the Congregational story collected since 1853
• Collect materials related to the Congregational story, especially experiences less well documented in the collection
• Support congregations as they preserve their history
Engage with the Congregational story and its relevance to contemporary society
• Share the Congregational story through programs and events
• Support scholars and students in conducting their own research
• Research and interpret Congregational materials and stories
Steward the CLA's future
• Strengthen the CLA's financial health
• Assess facility needs and make a long-term plan for the institution
• Support and invest in its staff
• Grow the Board of Directors to lead its next chapter
• Build a strong base of supporters
• Align its marketing, communications, and development work
• Celebrate the 175th anniversary of the CLA's founding in 2028