MIT Libraries

MIT Distinctive Collections saved a set of striking windows of gypsum and stained-glass, dating to the late 18th- to 19th c. Ottoman Empire. This exhibition illuminates the life of these historic windows, tracing their refracted histories from Egypt to MIT.

The “Dead Cities” are a group of over 820 settlements in northwestern Syria. Masterfully carved out of gray limestone and built without cement, many stood in pristine condition until the early 20th century. This exhibit features detailed drawings, as well as maps, models, academic books, and photographs.

Under the Lens examines the work of women scientists in biology and chemistry at MIT beginning with Ellen Swallow Richards, MIT’s first woman student, through the present day, when many women scientists hold leadership positions at the Institute.

Researched by current MIT faculty, students, alumni, and staff, this historical exhibit tells the remarkable story of South Asia at MIT and MIT in South Asia to honor the determination and grit of multiple generations of South Asians at the Institute.

With a renovation of Charles Hayden Memorial Library, the MIT Libraries aim to create physical spaces that reflect the library of the future.

This exhibit brings together items from Hayden’s past — archival materials relating to its planning and dedication — with the vision for its future in a celebration of the library’s enduring role fueling research and learning at MIT.

MIT Libraries’ Distinctive Collections seeks not only to help hold history for all, but also to inspire the new. In Mens et Manus: Making the Book at MIT we showcase some of the ways in...