The Archive collection of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology is dedicated to acquiring, preserving and displaying archives related to the art, science, and history of anesthesia. The purpose of the collection is to document events in anesthesia history, provide a resource for scholars, and to illustrate the development of anesthesia. The collection includes, but is not limited to, letters, photographs, manuscripts, membership lists, minutes, organization records, medical records, anesthesia records, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, newsletters, legal documents, ephemera, and other items relevant to anesthesia and the medical specialty Anesthesiology.

The emphasis of the collection is on archival materials that illustrate or document the science, technology, and practice of anesthesia and advancements that lead to the development of anesthesia. Archives related to anesthesia in the United States will be emphasized. However, archives related to important antecedents to the development of anesthesia, or archives that pertain to new concepts in anesthesia will be collected without regard for the country of origin. Archives that illustrate or are related to technical developments, pharmaceutical developments, conceptual advances, educational developments, and professional growth of anesthesia will be collected. Additionally, archives that illustrate the history of anesthesia and related technology, as well as conceptual advances in anesthesia, will be acquired. Archives associated with people who made significant contributions to the science, policy, teaching, development, or practice of Anesthesiology will be included. All of the categories of collected material described in this policy are flexible guidelines to direct the development of the collection, not rigid exclusionary restrictions.

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