Archives & Special Collections

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.

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.

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.