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Poly Archives & Special Collections

Guide to the collections in the Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library, New York University.

Using the Materials

Contact us via email for reference requests or to schedule a visit to the archives. Poly Archives at polyarchives@nyu.edu

To locate material across this or other collections at NYU Libraries, you can Search our Finding Aids.

Poly Archives Feature

Fall 2025

Interdisciplinary Studies student Amisha Gopee's (Tandon '24, XE '26) exhibit on South Asians @ Poly/NYU explores the history of South Asian students attending the former Brooklyn Polytechnic (currently Tandon) and the clubs they formed.  There is a particular focus on the South Asian Student Association (SASA) of the 1990s and early 2000s and the events they held, as depicted in the school yearbook. Amisha's exhibit mirrors this source material of the yearbook, highlighting the senior photos of South Asian students over time, as well as bringing to life the Bollywood dances these students performed on campus by displaying the black and white yearbook photo alongside the full color clip of the associated movie scene.

Image of Amisha Gopee's Fall 2025 Dibner Library exhibit South Asian Students @ Poly/Tandon. Front case with a grid of senior photos of South Asian students over time and a large TV screen showing a clip from a Bollywood movie alongside the still yearbook images.

The front of the Dibner Library exhibit case features a yearbook-style grid of South Asian students from different graduating class on the left and right.  In the middle, is a TV screen playing a clip of a Bollywood movie alongside the still images of students recreating the dance, as depicted in the yearbook.  Polywog yearbooks from various years are positioned below the TV screen.

Poly Archives & Special Collections

Polytechnic Chemistry Lab circa 1920.  Several individuals work at lab tables surrounded by lab equipment that includes glass jars.

The mission of the Poly Archives is to collect, preserve, and provide access to the records of the former Polytechnic Institute (1854-2014). The archives document the history of the former iterations of the school including: the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Polytechnic Institute of New York, Polytechnic University, and Polytechnic Institute of New York University.

The Poly Archives’ rare books and special collections provide context to the archival material by providing documentation of the history of science and technology, particularly in Brooklyn, and the development of MetroTech Center.

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To plan your visit to the Poly Archives see our website.