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Donating Your Materials to the Carnegie Mellon University Archives

In this guide you will learn what the University Archives collects and what we do not collect. You will also learn how to donate your materials to the University Archives.

Carnegie Mellon University Archives


About

As a center for research and creativity, the University Archives promote translational and innovative uses of primary sources. We inspire our community to seek knowledge of the past, tell stories from university history, and advance research using our collections, demonstrating Carnegie Mellon’s continuous impact on society.

The University Archives are home to more than 100 years of CMU history. Our reading room is located in Hunt Library on the university's Pittsburgh campus and our collections contain approximately 5,000 linear feet and 10TB of historic records and materials.


 

Scope

The Carnegie Mellon University Archives are the official repository for Carnegie Mellon’s intellectual, cultural and administrative history. We work with our community to identify materials of lasting historical value, and as much as possible we preserve these in their original formats both analog and digital.

Our aim is to build collections that accurately reflect the history and development of Carnegie Mellon. Our primary subjects include

  • foundational, administrative, and academic activities
  • campus locations and built environments
  • impactful achievements and innovations
  • campus life and culture

To this end, we actively collect materials from university leadership and administration, academic programs, students, faculty and affiliates, and alumni. To augment and complement these materials, we record and collect oral history interviews capturing the lived experiences of our community.

The University Archives are used for scholarly, administrative, and educational purposes by a wide range of audiences who study and shape university policy, education, and societal impact. To further this research, we actively seek to grow our existing holdings to accurately document life at CMU and reflect the diverse experiences and contributions of students, faculty, staff, and affiliates.

We support the educational and research mission of the university by providing in-person and remote access to our collections and facilitating engagement with primary sources through classroom instruction, exhibitions, university communications, and other venues. Our primary audience is our university community but we also support members of the public who wish to engage with the history of CMU.

We are committed to preserving and promoting the legacy of Carnegie Mellon, and we enhance the university's reputation as an innovative leader in education, research, creativity, and entrepreneurship.