(Currently Under Revision)
The Department of Distinctive 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 Archives works to build collections of primary sources such as
the official records of the Institute
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.
The authority and direction for the Institute Archives was set forth in the Institute Archival Policy, which was adopted by the MIT Corporation on May 28, 1976. The document directs the Institute Archives to collect the official papers of MIT as well as privately owned material bearing on the history of the Institute and of science and technology.
The Institute Archives will therefore collect material in the following categories:
The official papers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The official papers encompass the records or papers generated or received by the various administrative offices of the institute in the conduct of their business, and will include correspondence, printed material, minutes, committee files, financial records and associated papers.
The personal and professional papers of the faculty, alumni and staff of MIT, which will include correspondence and other records relating to research, teaching, professional affiliations and personal life.
The papers of individuals and organizations not directly connected with MIT where the subject matter of the collection is particularly relevant to our collecting interests and strengths.