Who can access materials at the Medical Center Archives?

Ask the Archivist: Who can access materials at the Medical Center Archives?

Everyone! Students, faculty and staff members, alumni, and the general public all have access to the photographs, papers, oral histories, and memorabilia documenting the history of Duke Medicine. Materials are accessible in the Medical Center Archives reading room, located at 1408-A Christian Avenue, on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is strongly recommended that you contact the Archives at least 24 hours before your visit so that the staff can have materials ready for you when you arrive. The phone number is 919-383-2653, and the email address is dumc.archives@mc.duke.edu. Don’t let the possibility of access restrictions discourage you from contacting the Archives! It is true that some of our collections do have access restrictions. For example, departmental records are restricted for 25 years from the date of creation, and all collections must be screened for protected health information (PHI). However, many of our materials have no restrictions and are readily accessible, and Archives staff members are happy to help you locate the information you need.

Please note that the Medical Center Archives does not house patient records. All patient records are maintained by Health Information Management. More information about Health Information Management is available at the following web site: http://www.dukehealth.org/patients_and_visitors/medical_records/.