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Distinctive Collections
Distinctive Collections

Physical donation instructions

Preparing boxes

  1. Pack your records into boxes that are one cubic foot in extent, preferably the Miracle Box 15 from the Paige Company (product MB-15). Most standard banker’s boxes are also the correct size.
  2. Pack the records in the same order in which they were filed in your office.
  3. Remove any hanging/Pendaflex folders, as these will damage the boxes.
  4. Fill each box completely so that folders do not slump. If you send a box that is only partially full, stuff the box with crumpled up paper or other material so that the folders stay upright.
  5. Label each box in pencil with the following information:
    Name of office or DLC (example: Department of Geology)
    Month/year of transfer (example: August 2019 transfer)
    Box number, starting with 1 for each new transfer (example: Box 1 of 6)
  6. If your transfer includes more than one box of paper records, complete the inventory form and email to ddc-offers@mit.edu.

Sending boxes
You may bring the boxes in person to the Department of Distinctive Collections Reading Room in 14N-118 or MIT Offices/DLCs can arrange to have the boxes sent to us using YourMove.

For offices using YourMove, do the following:

    1. Log in to Atlas and click on Service Requests on the left-side panel, then click on Create a Request. On the next page, click on Moving.
    2. Complete the Moving From page with the location of your office or other location where the boxes will be picked up.
    3. Complete the Moving Details page. Indicate that the boxes should be delivered to the Department of Distinctive Collections, 14N-118.
    4. After YourMove has contacted you to confirm a time for the move, contact archives@mit.edu to let us know when the boxes will be delivered.