University Archives
About us
The University Archives is the official repository of records of Stanford University and serves as its institutional memory. We collect, preserve, administer, and promote access to materials of enduring historical value in any format that document Stanford, including records of Stanford administration and governance, faculty research and teaching, students and alumni, campus activities and events, and Stanford’s relationships with Santa Clara County, the State of California, the region, and the world.
Holdings include more than six miles of archival records, manuscripts, photographs, maps and architectural drawings, posters, books, serials, and audiovisual materials, and over 50 terabytes of electronic records, within thousands of collections.
The University Archives is proactive in documenting and serving the research and teaching needs of an increasingly interdisciplinary and multifaceted university, and supports Stanford’s pedagogical and service mission by providing the Stanford community with opportunities to engage with Stanford’s past, and to help determine how that past is studied, interpreted, and shared.
Find research support
- Using Special Collections & University Archives
- Stanford Archives Reference and Research Guide
- Teaching with Special Collections
- Asian and Asian American community at Stanford University
- Black students at Stanford University
- Chicana/o-Latina/o-Latinx community at Stanford University
- LGBTQIA+ community at Stanford University
Important information about access to collections
The Department of Special Collections and University Archives is undertaking a major collection move through 2026. Some University Archives collections are unavailable during this time. If you are planning a research visit or class session, please contact Special Collections to determine availability and options.
Meet the staff
