Service updates
Visit us in person
- Library access is limited to:
- MIT faculty, students, and staff and their invited guests in compliance with MIT’s campus access policies.
- Visitors who have been issued a Tim Ticket by Distinctive Collections or for Libraries business or events.
- Please note: The MIT Libraries do not sponsor users in Covid Pass or issue Tim Tickets for access to Libraries’ general collections or study spaces.
- All Libraries users must be in compliance with MIT’s campus access policy.
- See semester hours and locations.
Access electronic materials and collections
- All of our e-books, online journals, databases, and other streaming/electronic materials remain available as usual – find what you need using Search Our Collections. See more information about how to authenticate to online resources.
- Libraries staff have coordinated with major publishers and digital platforms to provide expanded and free resources for remote teaching, learning, and research.
Borrow & request materials
- We no longer ship materials to off-campus addresses. You may request materials for pick up at the library location of your choice.
- Office delivery will continue for MIT faculty, postdocs, and academic/research staff.
- Our stacks are open for browsing. You can also place requests via Search Our Collections and track them through Your Account to pick up at the library location of your choice.
- You can request PDFs of 50 pages or less from print books, journals, and serials through our Scan and Deliver service, or suggest a purchase in digital or physical formats.
- For Distinctive Collections (Institute Archives, Manuscripts, etc.) materials, visit their site for complete information.
Borrow & request materials from non-MIT libraries
- Books/physical items: Request via Borrow Direct, Illiad/Interlibrary Borrowing, or Suggest a purchase.
- Articles/book chapters: Request via Illiad/Interlibrary Borrowing.
- In-person visits with Borrow Direct partners: Due to continued Covid restrictions, most libraries are limiting access at this time. We strongly recommend checking with a library before visiting.
Get materials for course reserves
- The Libraries will offer a full course reserves service.
- The service includes access to article and chapter scans through our Scan & Deliver service, as well as access to numerous e-books and databases.
- Print reserves for required textbooks will be available at the start of the term. Faculty and instructors can submit textbooks for courses via the MIT Coop AIP.
Get help
- Our Ask Us services are available online for general help, research, and reference questions.
- Subject expert librarians can teach in MIT in-person and online classes, on topics ranging from archival research to literature reviews and more. They are also available for in-person or remote consultations and can be reached via email.
- Data Services (GIS, DMS and Statistical Services) provides assistance across the Institute in data management, creation, visualization, and analysis in support of all aspects of the research, teaching, and learning workflows.
- Distinctive Collections provides reference consultations (with materials) via Zoom. Visit their requesting materials page for complete information.
- For help with copyright questions related to digitizing materials, please contact scholarlypub@mit.edu.
Returning materials
- Book drops at all library locations and the Stata Center are inside and require MIT Covid Pass to enter the buildings for access.
- Book drop accessible to everyone is located outside building 9 – Samuel Tak Lee Building, along the Mass Ave side.
- Please note that items returned after closing will be backdated when checked in the next business day.
- See our Borrow and request page for information regarding shipped returns.
- Questions about returning materials? Please email circulation@mit.edu.