Archives & Special Collections

Bookshelves and an old card catalog

Welcome!

Gordon Library's Archives & Special Collections department actively collects and curates Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s university records, culturally significant manuscript collections, rare books, artwork, and other historical objects of enduring value. As the institutional memory of WPI, our staff is committed to preserving and providing access to the resources produced by WPI staff, faculty, and students. We also support primary source education and research to advance curricular goals—both for the WPI community and broader public—and partner with offices across campus to enrich special events and foster community engagement.  

WPI Archives & Special Collections is open to the public. Access to our collections is available onsite via the Fellman Dickens Reading Room or virtually through Digital WPI, our online institutional repository. We also curate regular digital exhibits and one annual exhibit in the Gladwin Gallery to showcase some of our resources. 

For more information about our collections and services, or to schedule a research consultation, please email archives@wpi.edu. 

CONTACT
Location: George C. Gordon Library

Collection Guides

Explore our institution’s archival holdings using these online access points. Collection guides support discovery of all processed material and provide description to help you better understand the archival resources available to you. 

Archival storage boxes in the WPI Archives vault
Browse online collection guides
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Digital Exhibits

Our newest platform facilitates a more interactive dive into the narratives that unfold from our archival resources, including 3D virtual walkthroughs of our most recent Gladwin Gallery installations.

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See more
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Digital WPI

Browse our online repository of digitized and born-digital resources, including works by WPI staff, faculty, and students, university publications, WPI historic images, Charles Dickens’s works, and some items from select manuscript collections. 

Collage of resources available in WPI's online digital repository
Explore WPI's digital repository
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Rare Books

Use the online library catalog to search for rare books and other special collections. Most notable among these is our extensive collection of Charles Dickens novels—including many original serial installments and first editions. 

Rare book bindings
Search here
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Meet the Archives Team
Preview Unpublished drawing by Dickens illustrator Marcus Clayton Stone for "Our Mutual Friend"

Introducing the WPI Dickens Portal

The WPI Dickens Portal enables world-wide access to WPI’s growing collection of materials related to the life, world, and works of Charles Dickens.  The Portal provides access to three integrated digital services.

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Preview Radio Club member reviewing material from collection

Participatory Archiving Reveals Radio Club Treasures

Access and Outreach Archivist Gillian McCuistion discusses the value of partnership between archivists and researchers, highlighting the department's ongoing effort to promote community-driven collaboration with WPI student organizations.

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Preview 1924 yearbook profile

The Odyssey of Naudin Oswell

Former University Archivist Arthur Carlson made notable discoveries about WPI's first Black graduate, Naudin Oswell '30. Despite facing racial discrimination, he rose to hold significant positions in public housing and finance. 

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