Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute Archives and Special Collections

The Institute Archives and Special Collections serves as the "memory" of MIT, collecting and preserving records that document MIT's history and the people who have been a part of that history. The collections chronicle the founding and growth of MIT and provide insight into the development and current issues of the Institute as well as MIT's involvement in the world beyond the Cambridge campus. The nature of education and research at the Institute is such that the Archives' collections document numerous aspects of the evolution of modern science and technology and its impact on society. In particular, the collections document the role of scientists and engineers in the formation of science policy. The Archives works to build collections of primary sources such as the official records of the Institute and selected personal and professional papers of MIT faculty, staff, and students. The department also collects MIT publications and the record copy of MIT theses, and maintains MIT's rare book collections. Occasionally the Archives accepts collections of records of non-MIT persons and organizations whose activities complement the Archives' holdings.