Using Archives Effectively Guide

8/3/2019 Using Archives Effectively Guide

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Uig ArchiveA Guide Efecive Reearch

by Laura Schmidt

ContEnts

Introduction 1

What are Archives and How do Tey

Dier rom Libraries? 2

ypes o Archives 3

Finding and Evaluating Archives 4

Requesting Materials Remotely 6

Planning to Visit an Archives 7

ypical Usage Guidelines in Archival Repositories 8

Notes on Copyright, Restrictions, and

U n p r o c e s s e d C o l l e c t i o n s 9

Visiting an Archives 10

A Final Word and Additional Resources 11

Appendix: Sample Finding Aid

with Annotations 13

Archives exist both to preserve historic materials and

to make them available or use Tis guide addresses

the second purpose by outlining the unctions and

procedures o archives, and is designed both or rst-

time archives users and scholars who have already

conducted research in archives Te content covers:

How archives unction

How to identiy appropriate archives or your

research

How to access historical materials and research

at an archives

Repositories and their collecting scopes and practices

may dier, but the principles in this guide should

assist you in accomplishing your research goals at any

archival institution

Irduci

Photos rom let to right:

Te Nelson Mandela Papers eature letters he wrote to amily and riendswhile in prison Photo courtesy o Elizabeth W. Adkins, CA.

LBJ howling with his dog Yuki while visiting with the US Ambassador toEngland Photo courtesy o Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.

Te Rock and Roll Hall o Fame and Museum opened in 2010 Courtesy othe Rock and Roll Hall o Fame and Museum.

Steeplechase Pier and the Boardwalk, 1920 Photo courtesy o Atlantic CityFree Public Library.

Archives preserve historic materials, including manuscripts and books


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Libraries in towns (public libraries)

or universities (academic libraries) can

generally be dened as collections o booksand/or other print or nonprint materials

organized and maintained or use 1 Patrons

o those libraries can access materials at

the library, via the Internet, or by checking

them out or home use Libraries exist

to make their collections available to the

people they serve

Archivesalso exist to make their

collections available to people, but dier

rom libraries in both the types o materials

they hold, and the way materials are accessed

TypesofMaterials: Archives can

hold both published and unpublished

materials, and those materials can

be in any ormat Some examples are

manuscripts, letters, photographs,

moving image and sound materials,

artwork, books, diaries, artiacts,

and the digital equivalents o all o

these things Materials in an archives

are oten unique, specialized, or rare

objects, meaning very ew o themexist in the world, or they are the only

ones o their kind

1Joan M. Reitz, ODLIS Online Dictionary or Library

and Inormation Science (Libraries Unlimited, 2010),

http://lucom/odlis/odlis_lcm#library

Examples o archival materials include:

letters written by Abraham Lincoln

(Abraham Lincoln Presidential Libraryand Museum, Springeld, Illinois),

Frank Lloyd Wrights architectural

drawings (Avery Architectural and Fine

Arts Library, Columbia University,

New York), photographs documenting

the construction o the Panama Canal

(ransportation History Collection,

University o Michigan Special

Collections), and video ootage romI

Love Lucy television episodes (the Paley

Center or Media, New York and Los

Angeles)

AccesstoMaterials: Since materials

in archival collections are unique, the

people (archivists) in charge o caring

or those materials strive to preserve

them or use today, and or uture

generations o researchers Archives

have specic guidelines or how people

may use collections (which will be

discussed later in this guide) to protect

the materials rom physical damage

and thet, keeping them and theircontent accessible or posterity

Example: Checking out a book rom a

library causes it to eventually wear out,

and then the library buys a new copy

o the same book Checking out the

handwritten diary o a historic gure

rom an archives would cause the samephysical deterioration, but the diary is

irreplaceable

Note that there is a great deal o

overlap between archives and libraries

An archives may have library as part

o its name, or an archives may be a

department within a library

Example: Te Perorming Arts Reading

Room in the Library o Congress

Wha Are Archive adHw D Tey Difer rm Librarie?

Photos top row - let to right:

New York Cubans players contract (dated 1947) orGarcia Photo courtesy o the Negro League Baseball M

Detail o a 1916 original pen and ink cartoon drawinRemove this blot! From the Carey Orr Cartoons, SpeCollections Research Center, Syracuse University Librar

Te Hollinger box is a revolutionary storage contain

can be ound in every archives

Photos bottom row - let to right:

Barbara Smith Conrads May 14, 1957 letter to theUniversity o exas President Logan Wilson Photo co Dolph Briscoe Center or American History.

A news clip rom Te Daily exan in 1957, which is pthe Barbara Conrad Papers at the Dolph Briscoe CenAmerican History Photo courtesy o Dolph Briscoe CenAmerican History.


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type ArchiveTere are many varieties o archives, and

the types o materials they collect dier

as well Dening your research topic and

knowing what sorts o materials you are

looking or will help you determine theappropriate institutions to contact Here

is a brie overview o repository types:

Collegeanduniversityarchives

are archives that preserve materials

relating to a specic academic

institution Such archives may also

contain a special collections division

(see denition below) College and

university archives exist rst to serve

their parent institutions and alumni,

and then to serve the publicExamples: Stanord University Archives,

Mount Holyoke College Archives

Corporatearchives arearchival

departments within a company or

corporation that manage and preserve

the records o that business Tese

repositories exist to serve the needs

o company sta members and to

advance business goals Corporate

archives allow varying degrees o

public access to their materialsdepending on the companys policies

and archival sta availability

Examples: Ford Motor Company

Archives, Krat Foods Archives

Governmentarchives are

repositories that collect materials

relating to local, state, or national

government entities

Examples: Te National Archives and

Records Administration (NARA), the

Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential

Library and Museum, the New

York State Archives, City o Boston

Archives

Historicalsocieties are

organizations that seek to preserve

and promote interest in the history

o a region, a historical period,

nongovernment organizations, or a

subject Te collections o historical

societies typically ocus on a state or

a community, and may be in charge

o maintaining some governmental

records as well

Examples: Te Wisconsin Historical

Society, the National RailwayHistorical Society, the San Fernando

Valley Historical Society

Museums and archives share the

goal o preserving items o historical

signicance, but museums tend to

have a greater emphasis on exhibiting

those items, and maintaining diverse

collections o artiacts or artwork

rather than books and papers Any o

the types o repositories mentioned in

this list may incorporate a museum,or museums may be stand-alone

institutions Likewise, stand-alone

museums may contain libraries and/or

archives

Examples: Te Metropolitan Museum

o Art, Smithsonian National Air and

Space Museum

Religiousarchives are archives

relating to the traditions or

institutions o a major aith,

denominations within a aith, or

individual places o worship Te

materials stored in these repositories

may be available to the public, or may

exist solely to serve members o theaith or the institution by which they

were created

Examples: United Methodist Church

Archives, American Jewish Archives

Specialcollections are institutions

containing materials rom individuals,

amilies, and organizations deemed

to have signicant historical value

opics collected in special collections

vary widely, and include medicine, law,

literature, ne art, and technologyOten a special collections repository

will be a department within a library,

holding the librarys rarest or most

valuable original manuscripts, books,

and/or collections o local history or

neighboring communities

Examples: Special Collections Research

Center at the University o Chicago,

American Philosophical Society

Library


A student dressed as Ptah (the chie god o theEgyptian city o Memphis) at a Wind Up party,

circa 1930 Courtesy o University o exas School oArchitecture Collection, Alexander Architectural ArchiveUniversity o exas at Austin.

Materials housed in religious archives sometimes ex

only to serve members o the aith

An advertisement or Ford Motor Company that

appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, 1925 Photocourtesy o Ford Motor Company.


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Fidig ad EvaluaigArchiveHow do you locate archives that might

have materials appropriate or your

research? In addition to using online

search engines like Google, here are some

resources to consult:

Consult bibliographies and works

cited sections in books on your topic

Where did the inormation come

rom?

Contact other experts in the eld

Which repositories did they visit or

their research?

Look or websites dedicated to your

topic Do they list any archives?

alk to a reerence librarian at your

local library about accessing the

WorldCat database, which includes

listings or archival materials stored in

libraries all over the world

Check ArchiveFinderat http://

archiveschadwyckcom/homedo Tis

site contains listings rom thousands

o American and British archives

(requires purchase or subscription)

Check ArchiveGrid at http://wwwarchivegridorg/web/indexjsp Tis

database contains nearly a million

collection descriptions rom thousands

o libraries, archives, and museums

(requires purchase or subscription)

Check ARCHIVESCANADA.caat

http://wwwarchivescanadaca/ Tis

gateway to archival resources rom

over 800 repositories across Canada

contains linked archival repository

databases or each province

Check ArchivesWiki at http://

archiveswikihistoriansorg/indexphp/

MainPage Sponsored by the American

Historical Association, this page

links to several archives rom around

the world and provides commentary

about the archives rom a researcher

perspective

Browse the website o the Library

ofCongress at http://wwwlocgov/

indexhtml Te Library o Congress

is Americas national library, and the

worlds largest

Visit the website o the National

ArchivesandRecords

Administration(NARA) at http://

wwwarchivesgov/ NARA oversees the

preservation o United States ederal

government materials Tere are

two additional resources that can be

accessed through NARA:

AAD- (Access to Archival Databases)at http://aadarchivesgov/aad/ is a

search engine or some o NARAsholdings o electronic records

ARC- (Te Archival ResearchCatalog) at http://wwwarchives

gov/research/arc/ is an online

catalog o NARAs nationwide

holdings in the Washington,

DC area, regional archives, and

presidential libraries

Search the NationalUnionCatalog

ofManuscriptCollections

(NUCMC) at http://wwwlocgov/coll/

nucmc/ NUCMC provides descriptions

o manuscript and archival collectionsrom a wide variety o American

repositories Te inormation produced

by NUCMC is shared with the

WorldCat database (mentioned above)

Check the RepositoriesofPrimary

Sourceswebsite at http://wwwuiweb

uidahoedu/special-collections/Other

Repositorieshtml Tis site lists over

5,000 links to archives around the

world

Use the UNESCOArchivesPortalat http://wwwunesco-ciorg/cgi-bin/

portals/archives/pagecgi?d=1 Tis

site gives access to websites rom a

global selection o archives

Te next step is determining the extent

o materials that suit your research needs

in an individual archives Since every

repository is dierent (by size, unding,

technological advancement, hours,

collecting areas, regulations, etc), even


Te National Union Catalog o ManuscriptCollections is a source or locating inormation onarchival and manuscript collections held by US

repositories

Scarboroughs census map o North and South

Carolina, 1911 Photo courtesy o the North CarolinaState Archives.

Spanish-American War volunteers rom Red RiverCounty, exas From the Red River Country PublicLibrary Digital Collection.


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experienced researchers must amiliarize

themselves with how a given repository

describes its holdings Utilizing the tools

listed below will help ensure a thorough

evaluation o an archives:

Websites: Check the website o the

archives you are evaluating, which

will oten list the repositorys main

collection strengths and the topics thematerials address Monitor websites

or updates such as new collection

descriptions and the addition o digital

resources

CatalogsandDatabases: Determine

whether the archives you are

evaluating has a link on its website

to catalogs or databases (similar to

those in a library) allowing you to

search holdings by subject, keyword,

title, author, etc Many catalogs anddatabases will link you to nding aids

(see below), which will provide more

detail about what a specic collection

holds I searching catalogs is new or

you, ask a reerence librarian at a local

library or assistance

FindingAids: A nding aid (sometimes

called inventory, collection listing,

register, or calendar) is a text document

providing a description o the contents

o a collection, just like a table ocontents outlines the contents o a book

By using a nding aid, a researcher gets

an understanding o a collection in its

entirety, sees the relationships between

its component parts, and locates the

portions o a collection pertinent to

research Finding aids sometimes

provide narrative portions describing

the background o a collection (how and

when it was ormed, how the archives

acquired it, etc), and how the archival

sta has arranged or ordered the

materials in the collection

I the archives you are evaluating

provides direct access to nding aids on

its website, browse or search the nding

aids or content relating to your research

See the Appendix o this guide or a

sample nding aid with annotations

Examples o a variety o nding aids

can be viewed through these nding

aid consortia websites:

Arizona Archives Online-http://azarchivesonlineorg

Te Online Archive o Caliornia-http://wwwoaccdliborg/

Northwest Digital Archives-http://nwdawsulibswsuedu/

indexshtml

Rocky Mountain Online Archive-http://rmoaunmedu

exas Archival Resources Online-http://libutexasedu/taro

Note that nding aids come in all

kinds o ormats Some archives just

have paper copies to use on-site,

while others have word processing

documents, PDF, or HML/XML

nding aids that can be viewed on

their websites Downloading and print

options vary by repository Some

archives may provide digital copies o

nding aids upon request

DigitalCollections: Many archives

digitize materials (photographs,

meeting minutes, reports, letters,

audiovisual recordings, etc) rom their

collections and make them available

on their websites Digitization enables

the researcher to view materials

without visiting the archives in

person Some digital content is ull-

text searchable, allowing you to enter

words pertinent to your research

(such as names or terms) into a search

box and then search the document

to see whether instances o those

words appear Examine the repository

website, catalogs, databases, and

nding aids to see whether links to

digital collections exist However, be

aware that digital collections oten reect

just a raction o the total holdings o a

repository. Tere may be nondigitized

materials at the same institution that

are also pertinent to your research

Search holdings listings careully and

ask the archival sta or assistance inaccessing nondigitized content

Note that when searching digital

collections online it can sometimes

be unclear whether the items you

are viewing represent a complete

collection or are part o a larger

collection ry to determine the

highest collection level or the most

complete overview o related items

Examples o digitized collections


Sheet music cover rom the Southwest ravel Literatu

Collection, Center or Southwest Research, UniversityLibraries, University o New Mexico Photo courtesy oUniversity o New Mexico.

In 1961 Stanley Ann Obama lived with her inant sonBarack in a second-oor apartment in this Capitol Hi

home in Seattle while she attended the University oWashington Courtesy o Washington Digital Archives.

Tree skaters circa 1920 From the Stuart Tomsononds, Hikeilla & HindConnaught Skating Club Arenin Vancouver, BC, Canada Photo courtesy o the City oVancouver Archives.


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may be viewed on the Minnesota

Digital Library website at http://www

mndigitalorg/reections/

ArchivalSta: One o the most

important ways to evaluate the

holdings o an archives is contacting

an archival proessional who oversees

the collections Archival sta can point

you toward resources you may haveoverlooked Job titles or such sta

positions include archivist, librarian,

reerence archivist, reerence librarian,

curator, and records manager Ater

you have examined the catalogs,

nding aids, and website o an

archives, call or email the repository to

conrm your ndings and conclusions

I you nd specic materials that

seem particularly important during

your search, write down the titles, call

numbers, or other unique methods

o identication rom those materials

and share them with the sta

Inquire whether you should set up an

appointment time to visit and view the

materials

Example: I am doing a research

project involving [describe the

purpose, background, and context o

your project] I have already viewed

the ollowing [nding aids, catalogs,

etc] on your website, and thought

that these specic resources would

be useul or my research: [List

nding aid or collection titles, book

titles, etc that you have ound Be as

specic as possible] Do you have any

recommendations o other relevant

materials in your collections? May I

visit your repository next Wednesday

aternoon to view these items?

In the case o an archives that does not

list collections on its website (or does

not have a website), contacting the sta

is the only way to ascertain its holdings

Inorm the sta o your research project

and intent, ask them to clariy what

materials are held at the repository,

and ask how materials are accessed by

researchers I you are not getting the

help you need rom one sta member,

try another one at the same institution

Requeig Maerial RemelyOnce you have identied materials that

will aid your research, the question

then becomes how to access them

Policies regarding access vary among

archives, but here are some questions

to ask yoursel, or the archival sta, to

determine whether you can obtain access

to materials without visiting the archives

in person:

Are the materials you want to see

available through interlibraryloan,

meaning that the archives would

send them to a library near you where

you could view or borrow them?

Some archives do lend out select

materials (such as printed materials or

microlm), but rarely loan primary or

original documents

Are the materials you want available

throughlibrariesother than the

repository at which you ound them?

Especially in the case o published

and printed materials, other libraries

might own the same materials and

allow them to be loaned Te WorldCat

database (mentioned in the Finding

and Evaluating Archives section o

this guide) is an excellent resource

when looking or alternate lending

libraries

Will the archives provide scansor

photocopies o the materials you

wish to consult? What are the ees

or those services? Are there limits

on the amount o material that can

be requested? Look or policies on

photocopying and digital reproduction

on the repositorys website, or contact

a sta member and inquire

Will the archives allow a research

assistant to access materials on

your behal? Some archives may have

recommended assistants or research

services available to patrons unable

to visit the archives in person I not,

hiring someone to help with your

research can be a great option or

remote access Consider hiring a local

graduate student or ask a riend living

near the repository

Do you have a simplequestion that

can be answered by having the archival

sta view the materials on your

behal? Archivists routinely answer

reerence questions or researchers,

so i the inormation you need can be

retrieved in a short amount o time,

there is a good chance they can relay

it to you without having you come in

person


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Plaig Vii a ArchiveI you cannot view the materials you want

via the repositorys website or through the

above-mentioned methods, you will need

to visit the archives in person Whether

you are traveling a long distance to visitthe archives or visiting a local one, it is

always a good idea to plan ahead or your

visit Here are some arrangements to

consider:

Informthearchivalsta o the date(s)

o your visit and the materials you would

like to see Te sta can notiy you o any

special circumstances where either the

acility or the materials are unavailable

Many archives store materials in o-

site acilities, typically due to spaceconstraints I the materials you are

requesting are stored o-site, they may

take several hours or days to retrieve

Alerting the sta to your visit and the

materials you want to see may enable

you to access those materials upon your

arrival instead o having to wait or them

Conrm the repositorys scheduled

visitinghours Are there any special

closings on the dates you intend to

visit? I the hours are too limited to

accommodate your schedule, can any

alternative arrangements be made?

Many repositories lack the stafng and

unding required or having extensive

hours, but some may oer options to

meet researcher needs I a repository has

weekend and evening hours, proessional

archival sta may not be present at

those times Tis may limit the services

available (such as photocopying, material

retrieval, etc), so ask i any services are

limited during those hours Additionally,ask whether there are any entrancefees

to conduct research there

Examine the available options or

accommodations,food,and

transportation Te archives may

have special arrangements that

researchers can utilize Inquire aboutparking near the repository i you are

bringing a vehicle with you

Check to see whether there are any

limitsontheamountofmaterials

you may request or specic request

times Some archives may allow you

to have multiple boxes o materials at

a time; others only a single box, book,

or older at a time Te amount o

materials you may access could impact

your work ow and time spent at thearchives, so it is best to inquire ahead

about material request limits Te times

when material requests may be placed

can also vary by repository

Review guidelines or using materials

at the archives Look or these to be

posted on the repository website, or

ask a sta member ypical repository

guidelines will be explained in more

detail in the next section, but guidelines

between archives will vary

Examine the reproductionpolicies

o the archives Regulations and ees

or requesting photocopies, scans,

digital photography, microlming, and

reproductions o photos and audio-

visual materials vary among archives

Ascertain whether the archives oers

Internetaccessand accommodates

personal laptopcomputers,and

clariy the Internet access procedures

I Internet access is not available,determine the nearest location where

researchers may access the web

Ask whether any materials in the

collection circulate or areloanedou

Are there other libraries nearby that

oer guest library accounts? Sometim

a local library will have resources toaid your research that are available o

loan or accessible when the archives i

closed

Inquire whether any opportunities

or researchgrantsor funding are

oered by the archives Extensive

research projects may require spendin

a large amount o time at one or seve

archives Some repositories (or relate

organizations or academic institution

may oer nancial assistance toresearchers

Schedule some additional timefor

theunexpected Discoveries and new

questions unearthed during research m

lead you down dierent avenues than

you had originally anticipated Certain

taskslike deciphering hard-to-read

handwritten documents or researching

primary materialsmay take more tim

Also, consider the option o a return vis

to the archives in case you need to veri

inormation, check additional material

or pursue something you had not thou

o earlier

i i i

ili i i l li

t i i , i tit t , i

-

-


Te main reading room o the Center or Jewish H

Photo courtesy o the Center or Jewish History.

Spacesaver Corporation designed pull-out compact

shelving or the National Archives to provide additstorage Photo by Darryl Herring, courtesy o the Nat

Archives and Records A dministration.Te building entrance o the Center or Jewish His

Photo courtesy o the Center or Jewish History.

Te reading room at the Schlesinger Library Photocourtesy o the Schlesinger Library, Radclife InstituteHarvard University.


8/16

typical Uage Guideliei Archival Repirie

Researchers may be surprised initially

at how dierent it is to use materials in

an archives versus a public or academiclibrary Archives have access guidelines

designed both to help preserve materials

and protect them rom thet, thus

ensuring they will remain available or

uture researchers Tis section will list

some typical usage guidelines ound

at archives and the reasons behind

them Guidelines will dier between

repositories, so always check what

guidelines an archives has in place

Registryandpersonalidentication:Many archives ask

researchers to ll out an application,

registry card, online orm, or acquire

a researcher card beore they begin

using materials Te orms typically

include name, address, institutional

afliation, materials to be used, and

a description o the research project

Photo IDs may also be requested Such

registration practices amiliarize the

archival sta with the researchers to

better serve their research needs andinterests, and may also be used to aid a

criminal investigation in the event that

thet is discovered Some archives also

require a note o recommendation or

special permissions beore admitting

researchers

Removalofcoatsandbags: Another

method used to discourage thet is

requiring that researchers remove

bulky outer clothing and store purses,

bags, binders, and laptop cases outsideo the research area Many archives

have lockers or other monitored

areas that researchers can use to

store personal possessions I the

only storage option is a nonsecure

environment, such as a public coat

rack, be sure to remove valuable items

like keys and wallets rom bags and

pockets

Nofood,drink,orgum: Tis

guideline is designed to help preserve

the collections Spills can irreparablydamage documents or require costly

repairs by a conservator Te presence

o ood may also attract insects or

rodents that inest archival materials

Useofpencilonly: Tis is a

preservation practice in case accidental

marks are made on archival materials;

pencil can be erased while pen marks

cannot

Requestforms: Forms are used in avariety o situations, rom call slips

that speciy the boxes or books a

researcher would like to see, to orms

requesting reproductions (such as

photocopies) Some orms have very

practical uses, like veriying that

the correct materials are retrieved,

calculating ees, or keeping track o

usage or statistical and preservation

purposes By recording exactly which

materials were used and by whom,

orms can also serve as a thetdeterrent Finally, orms can be useul

in notiying the researcher o any legal

requirements to take into consideration

or how materials are used Example:

Photocopies o unpublished materials

provided or a researcher may require

additional permissions beore they are

published Te researchers signature

on the request orm indicates that the

signer has read and understood these

stipulations, and that the archival

repository has done its duty inormingresearchers that those conditions exist

Gloves: In most cases clean hands ree

o lotions or perumes are sufcient

or handling materials Gloves may

be necessary or handling objects or

photographs in order to protect the

materials rom the oils and other

residues let by hands Te archives

should provide gloves i they are

required

Laptops,cellphones,cameras,

recorders,andpersonal

scanners:Many archives allowthe use o cameras, laptops, and

other personal digital devices, but

restrictions may exist Materials

may require permissions beore they

are reproduced, and the lights used

by cameras and scanners can cause

text and images on documents to

ade i they are overexposed Hence,

guidelines in these areas are or

security and preservation purposes,

as well as or ensuring that all

researchers can work in a relatively

quiet, distraction-ree environment

Archival sta may also ask to inspect

any devices researchers bring with

them beore entering or leaving the

research area

Carefulhandlingandmaintaining

order: o ensure that materials are

maintained or uture use, all archives

ask researchers to handle materials

careully While older materials are

generally thought to be more ragile,even new materials need to be handled

with care so they remain available to

the next generation o researchers

Archives may provide specialized tools

like book pillows to help preserve

materials during use

It is also important that materials

remain in the order in which the

researcher received them so they can

be located later and observed in their

proper contexts Misling or changes

in order can lead the archival sta to

assume that items are missing and

inconvenience uture researchers

Repositories generally provide place

markers to help a researcher keep

materials in order and to mark

items requested or photocopying

An archives may have additional

guidelines like removing one older

rom a box at a time, leaving reshelving

to archival sta, etc


9/16

ne Cpyrigh, Rerici,ad Uprceed ClleciIn certain instances, materials may not be

accessed, or may have stipulations on use

and access Reasons or limited access to

materials generally all into three categories:

Copyright: Copyright legislation in

the United States protects authors o

original works in any orm, including

literary, dramatic, pictorial, musical,

etc Te copyright holder has the right

to control the use, reproduction, and

distribution o those works, as well

as the ability to benet rom works

monetarily and otherwise Archives

must abide by these laws, which can

be complex In other words even

i the archives physically owns a

particular document, the copyright

o the document and stipulations on

how it can be used may be managed

by another individual or institution

While amendments to copyright law

have been made to help archives and

libraries better serve researchers,

limitations still exist on what materials

repositories can provide

Archives may require donors to give

both property and copyright to the

archives upon donation However,

donors can only give an archives

copyright to materials that they

created, so many documents in

collections remain under copyright It

is the responsibility o researchers to

nd the copyright holder in order to

publish or cite rom the materials

Examples: Photocopying an entire

copyright-protected book that a

researcher can purchase or obtain

through other avenues would be a

violation o copyright law Publishing

an unpublished poem without consent

rom the author o the poem, or that

authors estate, would also violate

copyright law Placing a copyrighted

photograph on a website without the

consent o its copyright holder would

be another violation example

Restrictions: Restrictions come in

many varieties, but they generally exist

because an archives must serve the

interests o some other group or entity

and hence cannot allow researchers to

access certain materials Reasons or

restrictions include:

Te- donor who originally gavematerials to the archives set a time

limit or certain stipulations on

how those materials could be used,

generally due to privacy concerns or

sensitive materials

Lawsorotherlegislation- existwhich dictate how certain materials

may be used

Examples: Te Health Insurance

Portability and Accountability Act o

1996 (HIPAA) protects the medical

records o individuals US Census

records are restricted or seventy-

two years beore they become

available to researchers to protect

personal inormation Te Family

Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA) protects the privacy o

student education records

Materials may be considered-classied i they endanger

the security o a governmental

body (such as the ederal or

state governments), or i they

compromise the health o a prot-

based company (such as the design

plans or an automobile or the recipeo a commercial ood product)

Most restricted materials will be

made available or researchers to view

once the restriction stipulations are

no longer deemed necessary or have

expired ater a certain amount o

time has passed Researchers may, in

some cases, gain access to restricted

materials i they le a petition

or request permission rom the

appropriate entity

Unprocessedcollections: Tese

collections contain materials that the

archival sta has receivedbut has not

yet examined, identied, and organized

or researchers to use Te work that

archivists do in preparing materials

or research use is called processing

Here are some reasons materials require

processing beore use:

Archivists need to- identifyanddescribe materials so that they can

create the nding aids, database

records, and other tools that will

help researchers locate materials to

aid their research

Poorstoragemethods- may contribute to the rapid

deterioration o materials, so

archivists oten remove rubber

bands, metals, plastics, boxes,

olders, and other items that are

harming materials, replacing them

with archival-standard enclosures

(such as acid-ree olders) that will

support preservation needs

Contaminants that pose certain-healthrisksto humans, like mold

or chemicals, may be present in

materials that arrive at archives

Archivists are trained to identiy

these problems and treat the

materials so that they are sae to use

Overall, the work o processing makes

materials sae or researchers to

use, and helps protect and preservethose materials or long-term use at

an archives Tere are repositories

that may allow researchers to use

unprocessed materials, depending

on the individual collection and the

policies o the institution I you know

o an unprocessed collection you want

to use, talk to the archival sta as ar

ahead o your visit as possible and

inquire about use policies


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Viiig a ArchiveOnce you have arrived at an archives, here

are a ew things to consider to maximize

your time and efciency, and to help the

research process go smoothly:

Prioritizeyourrequests: What

are the materials that would be most

helpul or you to view? Make plans

to see those rst and ask the archival

sta or them promptly to ensure

you have time to see them Tis is

especially important or materials you

would not be able to get anywhere else

Do you have any questions that need

to be addressed beore other work can

be done? ackle those rst

Balanceyourworkowwiththe

policiesofthearchives:Ater

amiliarizing yoursel with the policies

o an archives, you can better adapt

your work ow to those criteria when

conducting your research

Examples: Will certain materials

take time to retrieve? Do photocopy

requests need to be submitted twenty-

our hours in advance? Planning to

have some materials to view while

you wait or others to arrive, andsubmitting your photocopy request the

day beore your departure, helps you

meet your research goals and honors

the policies outlined by the archives

Askforassistance: Te archival

sta is there to help you I you have

questions, ask them You are your rst

and best advocate or accomplishing

your goals

Bringappropriatesupplies: Have

pencils, notepaper, and a pencil

sharpener handy Some archives may

provide these things or you, but do

not assume they will be provided

Carry a magniying glass in case you

run across difcult handwriting or

need to examine some small detail

And since books and papers are better

preserved in cooler temperatures,

archives can sometimes be on the

chilly side Have a lightweight sweater

on hand in case you get cold

Takethoroughcitations: While

you are working, make sure to take

ull citations or the materials you

are viewing, including any unique

identication assigned to the

materials by the archives such as the

call number, collection title, etc I

you need to go back and reerence

something in those materials again,

or i another researcher is later trying

to track your sources rom a publishedwork, this will help the archival sta

locate the materials

Pointoutcorrections: Mistakes or

omissions sometimes occur in nding

aids, websites, and descriptions o

materials I you, the researcher, notice

some o these errors or are an expert

in a particular area and can ll in

some inormation gaps, point those

out to the archival sta I possible,

cite another authoritative source to

support your corrections

Connectwithotherresearchers:

Archives are unique places where

specialists gather rom all over the

world Introduce yoursel to other

researchers and see i anyone else

shares your topic o interest You

never know what uture benets can

come rom a smile and a greeting

Also, inorm the archival sta i you

are looking to locate other researchers

working on your research topic Teymay be able to connect you with people

who share your interests However,

note that archivists keep researcher

names, projects, and material request

records condential and will not divulge

such inormation without consent


Archives are institutions where specialists gather and

historical documents rom around the worldAdam Winger (head o special collections) and StephaWilson (archivist) process the De Divina Proportione

courtesy o Adam Winger.

Butler High School students examine manuscripts, biand wax seals during a hands-on table talk at MorristNational Historic Park Photo courtesy o Sarah Minega

Archives students explore documents at Dalkeith Houduring a visit to the Royal Commission on Ancient an

Historical Manuscripts o Scotland Photo courtesy o EEngseth, University o Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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12/16

Family Hiry Reurce

Merriman, Brenda Dougall Genealogical Standards o Evidence:

A Guide or Family Historians (Genealogists Reerence Shel)

oronto: Dundurn, 2010 A best practices methodology guide to

genealogy

Christian, Peter Te Genealogists Internet Fourth edition

Surrey, England: National Archives o England, 2009 A book on

how to utilize online genealogy resources

Ancestry.com,wwwancestrycom One o the worlds largest

online amily history resources containing historical records,

photos, stories, amily trees and a collaborative community o

millions o people (requires purchase or subscription)

EllisIslandRecords, http://wwwellisislandorg/ Online

access to various immigration records

FamilySearch,https://wwwamilysearchorg/ Te largest

genealogy organization in the world provided by Te Church o

Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saints

USCensusRecords, http://wwwarchivesgov/research/

census/ Locate names, ages, origins, occupations, marital

status, and more

USGenWebProject,http://wwwusgenweborg/ A group o

volunteers working together to provide ree genealogy websites

or genealogical research in every county and every state o the

United States

Preervai

Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn, and Diane L Vogt-OConnor

Photographs: Archival Care and Management. Chicago: Society o

American Archivists, 2006

Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn, Preserving Archives and Manuscripts.

2nd ed Chicago: Society o American Archivists, 2010

Williams, Don, and Louisa Jagger Saving Stuf: How to Care

or and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized

Possessions New York: Fireside, 2005 A reerence book on

preserving materials at home, written by a senior conservator o

the Smithsonian Institution

Conserve-O-Grams,http://wwwnpsgov/museum/

publications/conserveogram/cons_tochtml Brie online guides

distributed by the National Park Service that discuss methods o

caring or all kinds o materials See Conserve-O-Gram 19/3 or

Use and Handling o Rare Books

CoOL(ConservationOnLine),http://coolconservation-

usorg/ Site sponsored by the Foundation o the AmericanInstitute or Conservation o Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC)

covering a wide variety o conservation topics

NortheastDocumentConservationCenter, http://www

nedccorg/homephp A website with inormation and resources

regarding the preservation o paper-based materials

Preservation101,http://unacilitatedpreservation101org/

loggedinasp An online guide about preservation care or paper

and media collections

StoredAlive, http://wwwclimatenotebookorg/games/

storedalivehtml An interactive website showing how time andstorage environments impact dierent objects


One amily history resource to search genealogy is wwwamilysearchorg

Te De Divina Proportione by Paciolo Luca rom 1509 addressed mathematicaland artistic proportion, and included illustrations by Leonardo da Vinci Photocourtesy o Special Collections Williams Library, Stevens Institute o echnology.

Archives come in all shapes and sizes, and they hold incredible material waitingyour to exploration

2


13/16

Appedix

sample Fidig Aid wih Aai

Below is an example o a nding aid describing an archival collection Tis annotated model is designed to help dene the separate

parts o a nding aid and the standard ormatting o nding aids in archives Not all nding aids will incorporate these elements,

but this sample should reect a range o options researchers might encounter in nding aid ormats

[Title Page: Te beginning o the nding aid includes the name o the archival repository, the title o the archival collection, nding aid

creation inormation, and a date range or the materials in the archive. Bulk dates reers to the date range where most o the materials in

the collection originate.]

CoRIntH HIstoRICAL soCIEtY

Finding aid or

Corinth Chamber O Commerce Records

Date range: 19212005

Bulk dates: 19751997

Finding Aid created by Laura Schmidt, 2010

Copyright Corinth Historical Society

[Summary Information: Tis section lists the creator o the materials in the archive, the size and extent o the collection (in boxes and

linear eet), call numbers and storage locations, language(s) represented in the collection, and a brie description (abstract) o the collection

contents.]

Creator: Corinth Chamber o Commerce

Extent: 25 linear eet (2 boxes and 1 oversize scrapbook)

Abstract: Te records o the Corinth Chamber o Commerce include correspondence, events les, meeting minutes, newspaper

clippings concerning community projects, and a scrapbook o photographs

Call number: 85741 PUm 2nd oor and Oversize Section

Language: Te material is in English

[Access and Use:I there are any restrictions placed on an archival collection, those should be noted here. Other inormation in this section

includes how the archives received the collection, and copyright and citation notes.]

Acquisition Inormation: Tese records came to the historical society in 2008, deposited by the Corinth Chamber o Commerce

(donor no 1297) Future additions to the records are expected

Access Restrictions: Te record group is open to research

Copyright: Copyright remains with the Corinth Chamber o Commerce

Cite as: [item], older, box, Corinth Chamber o Commerce records, Corinth Historical Society

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[Background Information:Tis section details the history or biographical inormation relating to the collection and how it was created.]

History: Te Corinth Chamber o Commerce was established in 1922 and is dedicated to helping the businesses o Corinth grow

and promoting the economic development o the region Te chamber is run by a combination o volunteers and proessional sta

Local activities and events are also sponsored by the chamber Tese records were created and deposited by the Corinth Chamber o

Commerce

[Scope and Content and Arrangement: Tis section provides an overview o the types o materials in the collection and how they have

been arranged. Te diferent sections o the collection (series and subseries) organize collection content by type o material, ormat, topic, orsome other ling system determined by the archival staf, and/or the original creator o the collection.]

Scope and Content: Te records o the Corinth Chamber o Commerce include correspondence, events les, meeting minutes,

newspaper clippings concerning community projects, and one scrapbook Te strength o the collection is ound with the

correspondence, meeting minutes, and newspaper clippings series Tese series give a historical overview o the involvement and

impact the chamber has had in the city o Corinth

Te correspondence series ranges rom 1921 to 1996 and includes correspondence rom sta members, local business owners, and

other civic leaders, arranged by date O particular prominence is the correspondence with Mayor Taddeus Gladstone (19451959)

who worked very closely with the Chamber on city improvements during his tenure

Te events les contain materials relating to various events sponsored by the chamber rom 1965 to 2005, including the annual town

Christmas play Arrangement is rst by date and then by event title

Meeting minutes are rom the Board o Directors quarterly meetings, led by date

Te newspaper clippings series contains a wide range o articles on community projects sponsored by the chamber and chamber

activities, led by date

Te scrapbook was created by chamber sta and is stored separately rom the rest o the collection It contains photographs rom

1926 to 1965 o town storeronts and events

[Subject Terms: Tis section includes a list o terms, topics, etc. covered in the collection and usually linked to a library catalog to provide the

researcher with materials in similar categories.]Subjects:

Boards o tradeCorinth

CorinthHistory

Municipal governmentCorinth

CorinthSocial lie and customs20th century

[Related Materials: Tis section o the nding aid points the researcher to other items in the archives (or elsewhere) that are closely related

to the collection described in the nding aid. Te items may be related by origin, subject matter, etc.]

Related Materials:

Researchers interested in this archive may also wish to consult the ollowing resources in the Corinth Historical Society holdings:

Corinth Community Park Project Records A collection documenting a landscaping project partly sponsored by the Corinth

Chamber o Commerce

Corinth Photograph Collection contains photos o local homes and businesses

Other materials in the historical society holdings may relate to the topics in this archive See the archivist or urther research

assistance

4


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[Contents listing: Sometimes also called container contents. Tis is a box-by-box, older-by-older listing o the materials stored in the

collection. Te level o detail in this section may vary depending on collection scope and individual repository practices.]

Folder # Description

BoX 1

Correspondence(19211996)

1 Correspondence, 19211931







EventsFiles(19652005)

8 Christmas play publicity, programs, and ticket stubs, 19651975

9 Christmas play materials continued, 19781993

10 Party in the Park Corinth Community Park dedication, 1994

Includes publicity, a transcript o the speech by the mayor, and 6 photographs

11 Main Street beautication project, 19941996 Includes planning documents, items rom grand opening ceremony,

and a piece o abric rom the ribbon-cutting ceremony

12 Christmas play materials continued, 19952005

MeetingMinutes(19352005)

13 Board o Directors meeting minutes, 19351952

14 Meeting minutes continued, 19561963




BoX 218 Meeting minutes continued, 19972000



NewspaperClippings(19452003)

21 Articles relating to Chamber o Commerce events and activities, 19451963

22 Articles continued, 19691975

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BoX 2 (c.)

Folder # Description






Scrapbook(19261965)

Contains photographs rom 1926 to 1965 o town storeronts and events

Stored separately rom the collection in the oversize section Ask archival sta or retrieval

Visittheonlineguideatwww2.archivists.org/usingarchives.

Abu he Auhr

Laura Schmidt graduated with a masters degree in archives and records management rom the

University o Michigans School o Inormation in 2005 She has served as archivist or six years at

Te Marion E Wade Center, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, and is also involved as a volunteer at

a local historical society and as a church librarian

6

Te Society o American Archivists was ounded in 1936 and is North Americas oldest and

largest national archival proessional association SAAs mission is to serve the education and

inormation needs o its members and provides leadership to help ensure the identication,

preservation, and use o the nations historical record Visit wwwarchivistsorg

2011 by Laura Schmidt

Documents

Using Archives Effectively Guide