Archives & Special Collections

Gordon Library’s Archives & Special Collections actively collects, preserves, and makes available university records, historical and cultural collections, artwork, and objects of enduring value to the WPI community, scholarly researchers, and the broader public.

Records take many forms, may be physical or digital, and can be created by anyone with a connection to WPI. Working closely with the Office of Compliance and Risk Management and Information Technology, Archives & Special Collections is committed to identifying and preserving the most important, at-risk, and permanent records of WPI.

Staff can assist with assessing legal, administrative, and historical record retention requirements, as well as arrange for the transfer of records to the Archives. For more information about Archives & Special Collections, or to schedule a research consultation, call 508-831-6112 or email archives@wpi.edu.

Collections Overview

University Archives

The University Archives collection includes records for academic and administrative departments and student organizations, early school records, alumni files, the papers of past WPI presidents, yearbooks, campus publications, WPI memorabilia, and over 50,000 images and recordings of WPI campus life. University Archives also maintains a growing number of collection guides and inventories to support the discovery of and access to the collections, all available in DigitalCommons.

Rare Books & Personal Libraries

This collection consists of approximately 4,000 early and unique bound volumes with topics ranging from American and British literature and the histories of Worcester and New England to science and technology. Also available are faculty publications and the personal libraries of notable WPI faculty and alumni. Books and materials held in this collection are listed in the library’s catalog, do not circulate, and must be consulted in the Fellman Dickens Reading Room.

Cultural and Corporate Collections

These collections include faculty, staff, and alumni papers; the corporate archives of Worcester and area businesses; the Robert Fellman Charles Dickens Collection; the Woodbury Collection; and the Theo Brown Diaries Collection.

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