Collections
Distinctive Collections comprises a number of collecting units within the MIT Libraries. Unified by uniqueness or rarity, these materials range across disciplines and time periods and take a number of different forms.
Collection strengths include materials which document MIT’s history and the people who have been a part of that history. Official records of the Institute, selected personal and professional papers of MIT faculty, staff, and students, and oral histories comprise the core of this collecting area. The department also collects MIT publications and the record copies of MIT theses. Please consult our research guide for help with research on MIT students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
We collect broadly on modern science and technology and their impacts on society, with particular attention to materials which document the role of scientists and engineers in the formation of science policy.
Our evolving work in building and stewarding other collections of interest for the MIT community includes a particular emphasis on innovative artistic, architectural, computational, and scientific work, especially that which explores social justice and diverse experience.
Aga Khan Documentation Center
The Aga Khan Documentation Center of the MIT Libraries is a research center focused on the built environment of Muslim societies.
Institute Archives
The Institute Archives detail the activities of MIT and members of its community. The collections document MIT’s administration, student groups, and more.
Manuscripts
Our Manuscripts collections focus on the history of science and technology and cover the fields of computer science, linguistics, engineering, and more.
Rare Books
Our Rare Books collection holds thousands of items with an expansive range covering foundational and fundamental scientific discovery and achievement.
Teaching Collection
The Teaching Collection includes tools and materials, old and new, which have been uniquely created and curated by staff, students, and artisans.
Visual Collections
The Visual Collections focus on a wide range of subject areas and topics, including art, architecture, urban studies, regional and city planning, and more.