Reference Services to MIT Community: Institute Archives & Special Collections: MIT


	Reference Services to the MIT Community (MIT faculty, administration, students, alumni/ae)



	Why use the Archives? To research the history of your department, school, or lab To learn the history of MIT policies and procedures To check historical facts To answer questions about thesis specifications To find out how to prepare MIT files for transfer to the Archives or to Records Management To read MIT theses that relate to your own research What are some of the resources in the Archives? MIT publications, such as Annual Reports of/to the President, 1871 to the present MIT catalogs, 1865 to the present Technology Review, 1899 to the present (indexed through 1972) MIT technical reports Other publications from MIT offices, departments, and labs Records of MIT administrative offices, departments, centers, labs Papers of many former MIT faculty members MIT theses, 1868 to the present Rare books What can the Archives staff do for you? Help find answers to specific questions Guide you while you conduct more thorough research in the collections Assist with research for department celebrations and anniversaries, exhibits, and committee projects Arrange tours of the Archives for MIT students, staff, and alumni/ae Work with faculty and students on MIT class projects requiring use of unpublished sources Consult with faculty and students about using collections in the Institute Archives and Special Collections How do you contact the Archives? Ask the Archives is checked several times daily Telephone (617.253.5690) or fax (617.258.7305) time sensitive requests Please address follow-up correspondence to mithistory@mit.edu, rather than to individual staff members, who may be away from the office. Are there other locations on or off campus where you can find answers to your questions? There may be. See guide to alternate sources of information about MIT. What else should you know about using the Archives? The MIT Institute Archives and Special Collections receives questions from around the world, but questions from the MIT community will be given highest priority We will discuss research assistance time beyond the one-hour limit for MIT faculty and administration on a case-by-case basis. Most of our collections are stored off site and usually require 24-48 hours to retrieve. Delivery may be delayed by inclement weather. We encourage you to order your collections one week in advance. Some of our collections have restrictions on access because they are unprocessed or due to restrictive donor agreements and MIT access policies. *Explore our web site to learn more about how we can help you!*