About the Center

The Stanford Medical History Center collects and maintains materials related to the history of health care, medical research, and medical education at Stanford and beyond, including:

• unpublished documents and records
• historical photographs, diagrams, and other visual materials
• rare medical books from the 13th century and later
• oral histories
• digital media

These materials are available for purposes of scholarship, genealogy, faculty and student recruitment and development, alumni relations, public relations, and curriculum development.

We also offer electronic databases and standard reference tools in the history of medicine.

Although the rarity and fragility of our materials prevents their circulation, we provide an on-site digital imaging station for visiting researchers to reproduce materials from our collections. To visit the Medical History Center or request materials please complete our contact form.

Offering Your Historic Materials

Thank you for thinking of us. At this time, we are no longer accepting donations of materials unless they are archival materials from Stanford Medicine. We will consider unpublished or otherwise rare materials that document health care, medical education, and medical research at Stanford Medicine—such as correspondence, administrative records, research materials, and images created or received by Stanford Medicine faculty, staff, departments, programs, clinics, or affiliated units. To arrange for the collection of archival materials, please contact us.

Opportunities for Giving

If you are interested in making a donation, please visit the Lane Medical Library Donations and Gifts webpage.