What options are available to MIT users who need to access a thesis before a thesis record appears in Barton or in DSpace?
Current MIT faculty, students, and staff who are interested in a thesis which has not yet been cataloged may contact the Institute Archives staff to determine whether the thesis has been deposited in the Institute Archives. If it has been deposited, and if it is not on hold, the Archives staff will then allow the user to view the thesis in the Institute Archives reading room. If the user needs a paper or electronic copy, they are referred to Document Services. If the thesis is available, arrangements can be made between Document Services and the Institute Archives to rush process a new thesis. In such a case, the thesis would go into the next group of paper theses to be scanned (the Institute Archives sends batches of 100 theses to Document Services every two weeks), and MIT users would be provided with a free PDF file within two weeks. When someone requests a paper or electronic copy of an existing MIT thesis (as opposed to a new one), a digital copy is created and added to the online
