Where is the Archives located? What are your hours?
The physical MSK Archives are not open to the public at this time. Please contact the Archivist if you have a prolonger research request that may require extended use of archival content.
How can I donate/transfer materials to the Archives?
The Archives is always accepting new donations and full instructions on how to donate can be found at this page.
Are any of your materials available to access remotely?
Because the physical archives are not open to the public, the Archivist is able to provide digital scans of certain archival content at no cost.
What does the MSK Archives have in its collections?
The Archives holds materials from MSK’s founding in 1884 to the present. The bulk of our holdings include administrative materials (annual reports, board meeting minutes, and related content), but there are also some photos and videos, research notes, and papers of major researchers in MSK history. More details about collections items can be found in the MSK Archives Catalog.
How can I research the MSK Collections?
Anyone interested in archival materials is welcome to search the MSK Archives Catalog at any time for content of interest. Once material of interest has been identified, a researcher can contact the Archivist to have this material scanned or reviewed. There are currently no resources for onsite review of records but contact the Archivist in the event you wish to review a large volume of records.
The Archives staff encourages research at all levels but also acknowledges that, due to the sensitive nature of some of our records, we may need additional institutional approval before certain material can be shared.
I’m looking for my/my family member’s medical records. Do you have them?
Unless you or your family member was treated in the 1800s, then the Archives almost definitely does not have any relevant medical records!
This article provides helpful information on how to request medical records from MSK.
I don’t see what I’m looking for in the online catalog. Do you have it?
It’s possible either way. Not all collections are processed to a high degree and some may be unprocessed entirely, so the exact description you’re looking for may not appear in our online catalog. If in doubt, you can reach out to the Archivist to see if the thing you’re looking for is there.
I would like to publish content from the Archives, how would I do that?
The answer to this will depend on what you are trying to publish and how. If you are a scientist or medical historian looking to cite data or include an image in a book or article, then you can reach out to the Archivist for a simple approval and preferred citation information/publication copy of an image. If this is for a documentary, film, or other creative work, then approval from our Marketing team may be required. Please reach out to the Archivist and she will advise you on the best course of action.
