The Institute of Brazilian Studies at the University of São Paulo (IEB/USP) was created in 1962 on the initiative of historian Sérgio Buarque de Holanda. Since then, it has served as an integrating body for one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country and as an interdisciplinary research center focused on critical reflection on Brazil. Since its inception, the Institute has been structured around the articulation between the Archive, Library, and Visual Arts Collection, bringing together under its care documentary collections that dialogue with multiple areas of knowledge, such as Anthropology, Architecture, Fine Arts, Library Science, Political Science, Cinema, Law, Economics, Education, Philosophy, Geography, History, Literature, Music, Sociology, Museology, and Theater.

The IEB is thus responsible for the preservation, dissemination, and research of an exceptional collection, consisting mainly of personal archives and collections assembled during their lifetimes by prominent Brazilian intellectuals, writers, and artists. These collections reflect comprehensive and dense analytical perspectives on the country’s social, cultural, and artistic thought, making them fundamental primary sources for academic research. In this sense, it is part of the IEB’s institutional mission to promote qualified access to this heritage, as well as to encourage its critical appropriation by professors, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, both from USP and other national and international institutions, expanding the possibilities for teaching, research, and university extension.