Welcome to the heart of MICA's history and creativity. Our Special Collections are a vibrant repository of unique records and works related to MICA, including contributions from our talented students, faculty, and alumni.
Most of our Special Collections can be found in our library catalog, with other access links below. Unfortunately we do not offer access to physical MICA history items due to staffing limitations, nor are we able to answer questions on your behalf.
There are several ways to explore what we have to offer:
We're here to help! If you have any questions or need guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at refer@mica.edu.
Decker Library's Book Arts collection consists of almost 800 unique, limited-edition artists' books and fine press editions. The collection includes works by nationally and internationally renowned artists, as well as contributions from MICA alumni, faculty, and staff.
The MICA Mades Audiovisual Collection houses over 700 VHS and Beta tapes, almost 800 cassette tapes, and a dozen film reels, documenting artist lectures, poetry readings, exhibitions, and special events at MICA dating back to the 1940s. Many of these items have been digitized and can be accessed for viewing or listening on the Internet Archive.
Decker Library holds graduate theses from MICA's graduate programs. Theses from 1956 to 2014 are available in-library only and can be searched in the library catalog or viewed in our inventory, arranged by program. Theses from 2015 to the present are accessible via Digital Decker. Authors set the permission level for their work, so some theses are open to the public, some are restricted to the MICA community (requiring a MICA username and password), and others are embargoed for five years from the creation date.
Zines, often self-published, non-profit, limited print works that may be folded, stapled, or photocopied, are a focus of our collection. We prioritize collecting works by MICA students, staff, and faculty, as well as zines reflecting Baltimore City's issues and artists, and those highlighting marginalized groups. These efforts support the MICA curriculum, and we continue to actively collect materials for this collection.