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The Information Technology Division, formed in 1985, consolidated academic and administrative computing at the University of Michigan. Douglas Van Houweling was named head of the unit and at the same time appointed to the new position of Vice Provost for Information Technology. During the 1980s, the unit oversaw a shift away from Michigan Terminal System (MTS) mainframe computing to a distributed, networked environment. The Information Technology Division record group documents the development of networked computing at the University of Michigan as it evolved from 1979 to 1995, mainly during the tenure of Douglas Van Houweling. The records include historical data, internal and external committee material, correspondence, and topical files and visual material.

The records of the Information Technology Division measure 23.5 linear feet and date from 1976 to 1998; the bulk of the material represents the years 1985 to 1997. The records consist of correspondence, meeting minutes, electronic mail, newspaper clippings, and reports. They document the administration of ITD, the development of computing on campus, UM's role in the development and management of local, regional, and national computer networks, and ITD's participation, largely in the person of Douglas Van Houweling, in a number of computing organizations, most notably EDUCOM and CIESIN (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network).

The ITD record group is divided into fourteen series including Central Files, Divisions, Networks, University Files, Vendors, Organizations, Deputy Vice-Provost for Information Technology, Vice-Provost for Information Technology, Virginia Rezmerski Files, Computer Sales Program, Computing Sites, Dean's Partnership Program, Software, and Photographs.

Merit (once an acronym for Michigan Educational Research Information Triad) was an organization developed to research the effects of connecting large research universities together by means of a computer network. Officially established in 1966 and still operating today, Merit contributed greatly to networking and the growth and expansion of the Internet. Most of the materials in the Merit record group documents Merit's early growth and development in the 1960s through Merit's post-NSFNET involvement in the late 1990s. Correspondence, project contracts and proposals, meeting minutes, and administrative records make up the bulk of the records.

Most of the materials in the Merit record group document Merit's early growth and development in the 1960s through Merit's post-NSFNET involvement in the late 1990s. Correspondence, project contracts and proposals, meeting minutes, and administrative records make up the bulk of the records.

This record group contains the following series: Administrative, Correspondence, Networks, Staff Files, Audiovisual, and Publications.

The Faculty and Staff files contain biographical and background information created and collected by the University of Michigan News and Information Services. News and Information Services is the media relations office of the university. The files represent more than 6,000 individual faculty and staff members. Some files contain photographs.

The Faculty and Staff Files (145 linear feet; 1944-2005) are arranged alphabetically by surname and contain academic and biographical information on nearly 6000 faculty and staff, including many who are inactive, retired or deceased. The files were maintained by the University of Michigan News and Information Service. Early on the files were working files holding ready reference biographical information and copies of press releases. Eventually the files came to include collected information such as copies of local and national newspaper articles where faculty or staff members were mentioned.

The amount of information per individual varies considerably, ranging from a single item to multiple folders. Files dating from around 1960-1995 tend to have more documentation than dates outside of this range, though there are some exceptions. Specific types of information include copies of news releases where the individual is mentioned, pages from Regents' meetings detailing appointments (resignations, faculty appointments, promotions, reassignments, sabbaticals, adoption of memoirs for retirements and deaths, etc.), newspaper clippings, magazine articles, preprints or reprints of publications, curricula vitae or other biographical summaries, and obituaries. In addition, some of the files contain photographs and negatives. (Photograph Series D of the News and Information Services records contains more than 4,000 faculty and staff portraits. A separate finding aid is available for that series.)

Files of University of Michigan presidents such as Alexander Ruthven and Harlan Hatcher are within the collection, as are files of various members of the Board of Regents. Distinguished alumni of the University of Michigan, including Nobel Prize winners Stanley Cohen and Raoul Wallenberg, also have files. The collection is of interest to researchers who desire a greater understanding of the professional interests and activities of faculty members in particular.

The University of Michigan News and Information Services functions as the university's media relations office. It disseminates information and images about university programs, research, events, and faculty and staff activities. This series of News and Information Services photographs is comprised of portraits of more than ca. 7,000 individual faculty and staff members spanning the years 1946-2006 (bulk 1950-1990).

This series of faculty and staff portraits, commonly known as "Series D", is part of the News and Information Services photographs collection, which consists of several other series often based on format such as the size of the negatives (4x5 or 35mm) or content (general campus photography or aerial photographs). Series D consists of black and white 4x5 inch negatives and 1-1/4 x 2-1/4 inch prints and negatives of faculty and staff (and some student) portraits alphabetically arranged.

The negatives were received in several accessions prior to 2007 totaling 7.5.f linear feet (15 boxes). These accessions were physically interfiled into a single alphabetic run. In 2016 a final accession 5.5 linear feet (15 boxes) of analog negatives were received. These have not been physically interfiled so the collection now consists of two alphabetic runs. However, in the container listing of this finding aid the files are presented in a single alphabet. Based on information supplied on the original negative envelopes, the listing includes faculty/staff name, department or unit (when provided) and date(s) of the portrait. Bentley Library negative numbers are included (if applicable)

The latest accession marks the end of the News and Information Services analog photography. The faculty and staff portrait series is continued in the Bentley Library's Michigan Photography digital photo collection.

The NSFNET 20th anniversary celebration, held November 29-30, 2007, recognized the impact and achievements of the NSFNET program. The conference featured keynote speeches and panel discussions from participants who worked directly on NSFNET, and also from those whose work it benefited. The collection contains print and digital media documenting the event: program of event proceedings, video recordings of panel discussions, video recordings of oral history project interviews, 35 mm color slides.

The NSFNET 20th Anniversary collection documents the event, "NSFNET: The Partnership that Changed the World. Celebrating 20 Years of Internet Innovation and Progress," held November 29-30th, 2007, in Arlington, Virginia. Consisting of website printouts, event program, archived websites, DVD-R discs, DVCAM tapes, and 35 mm color slides, the collection provides historic information regarding the foundation and progress of NSFNET over the past twenty years. The collection consists of two series: Event Information and Oral History Project.