About Us

The Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department offers a range of services to the Brandeis and broader research communities. In addition to acquiring, preserving, and providing access to primary source materials in all formats, the Archives & Special Collections Department:

  • Supports Brandeis academics by providing classroom instruction using relevant archival collections as well as by providing training in primary-source research methods
  • Fields reference requests from, and supports the research of, Brandeis students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as unaffiliated scholars and patrons around the world
  • Mounts physical and electronic exhibitions and sponsors lectures and outreach programs
  • Participates in and supports University special projects and capstone events
  • Consults on the management and disposition of University records
  • Provides digital access to selected items and collections
The department was founded with the generous support of the late Leonard L. Farber, a former chairman of the Brandeis University Board of Trustees and namesake of the university's Leonard L. Farber Library. The University Archives is named for his son, Robert D. Farber (1948-1995). Farber received his bachelor's degree in studio arts from Brandeis University in 1970 and became a successful painter. Two of Farber's paintings are on permanent exhibit at the Archives.