Examples: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the New York State Archives, City of Boston Archives. Due to rareness, fragility, or other restrictions, most items in these kinds of libraries are not available for Interlibrary Loan. Creative Commons licensed image by Flickr user LoadStone. **Some repositories offer competitive travel fellowships or other funding.
Reasons to contact a repository's archivist before planning a visit: Archival research typically involves one or more of these options: Contact the repository directly (contact information is generally available on a repository's website) to learn more about: Archivists are happy to help orient you to their repository, provide information about their holdings, Not every library (including archives and Special Collections libraries) is registered with WorldCat. Some archives will create catalog records for unprocessed collections as a means to signal their existence. ", (Definitions from the Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology (Richard Pearce-Moses, 2005). Not every individual item is listed in a collection's finding aid. BUT: Not every source is available online. Note: xz, gzip and bzip2 formats support only one file per archive. Instead, archivists select records, a process that requires an understanding of the historical context in which the records were created, the uses for which they were intended, and their relationships to other sources. The majority of professional archivists hold a baccalaureate degree, and many have one or more advanced degrees related to the profession. The word archives can be used in three different ways:. Researchers may be able to request that copies of relevant records be made available through Interlibrary Loan, however there may be a charge. Although some work is related, distinct differences exist in the work of the archivist. : Material is described on an individual level (e.g., catalogue record for a single book).

The top three most common archive file types are ZIP, RAR, and 7Z.

The word archives (usually written with a lower case a and sometimes referred to in the singular, as archive) refers to the permanently valuable records—such as letters, reports, accounts, minute books, draft and final manuscripts, and photographs—of people, businesses, and government. Examples: Special Collections Research Center at the University of Chicago, American Philosophical Society Library. The archivist identifies, preserves, and makes records accessible for use; the historian uses archival records for research. Check their website for information about funding opportunities. While most institutions are working to get finding aids online, this is an ongoing process for many organizations. Archivists are sometimes confused with other closely related professionals, such as librarians, records managers, curators, and historians. Directory of Corporate Archives in the United States and Canada. Privacy & Confidentiality  •  Disclaimer  •  Contact Us. Many archivists also plan and direct exhibitions, publications, and other outreach programs to broaden the use of collections, helping people find and understand the information they need. In short, archives benefit nearly everyone—even those who have not used them directly. Many primary sources that are available online are archival or Special Collections sources For example, historians and genealogists rely on archival sources to analyze past events and reconstruct family histories; businesses use the records to improve their public relations and promote new products; medical researchers utilize records to study patterns of diseases; Native Americans may use archival records to establish legal claims to land and privileges guaranteed by federal and state governments; and authors use archives to acquire a feel for the people and times about which they are writing. Librarians and Archivists: Both professionals collect, preserve, and make accessible materials for research, but they differ significantly in the way they arrange, describe, and use the materials in their collections. Assess: Not every record has enduring value, and archivists don’t keep every record that comes their way. You may need to contact an archivist to learn more about which finding aids are available online, and which are not. Archivists will not, however, do your research for you! It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. Instead they provide descriptions to the box or folder level. It's common for online software downloads and backup programs to store files in an archive format. Descriptions of each part of a collection are linked together into a "multi-level" archival description, or finding aid The Society of American Archivists identifies the following types: Examples: Stanford University Archives, Mount Holyoke College Archives. Types of Archives The Society of American Archivists identifies the following types: College and university archives are archives that preserve materials relating to a specific academic institution. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Such archives may also contain a "special collections" division (see definition below). A guide on using archival materials held in the Dalhousie University Archives, Find archival material at the Dalhousie Libraries, https://dal.ca.libguides.com/archivalresearch, Differences between archives and libraries, Browse the Archives Catalogue by geographic place, Collect and preserve institutional memory, Typically have materials in all formats (textual records, photographic material, moving images, etc. Archives and Special Collections libraries tend to collect deeply in specific areas, rather than widely in many areas.

Further, research/subject guides may also list unprocessed collections. Typically there will be a charge for ordering reproductions, often including charging by the page. What Are Archives? Many Special Collections/archival libraries do not catalog their collections by individual item. Identifying Special Collections/Archives for Your Research, Creative Commons licensed image by Flickr user. Provide Access: Archivists identify the essential evidence of our society and ensure its availability for use by students, teachers, researchers, organization leaders, historians, and a wide range of individuals with information needs. ", A repository is "a place where things can be stored and maintained, [including] any type of organization that holds documents, including business, institutional, and government archives, manuscript collections, libraries, museums, and historical societies, and in any form, including manuscripts, photographs, moving image and sound materials, and their electronic equivalents. Examples: The Wisconsin Historical Society, the National Railway Historical Society, the San Fernando Valley Historical Society. Museum Curators and Archivists: Although their materials sometimes overlap, the museum curator collects, studies, and interprets mostly three-dimensional objects, while the archivist works primarily with paper, film, audio, and electronic records. Increasingly archivists play a key role in ensuring that digital records, which may quickly grow obsolete, will be available when needed in the future.

In the course of everyday life, individuals, organizations, and governments create and keep information about their activities. Most archival sources are in their original language. Archives: Libraries: A group of material is described on a number of different levels within the collection or fonds (e.g., fonds, series, sub-series, file, item). Read this excellent article "Why Don't Archivists Digitize Everything" by Samantha Thompson, an archivist for the Region of Peel Archives (in Brampton, Ontario, Canada) to learn more about the labor and costs involved in digitization.). These records, and the places in which they are kept, are called archives, and archivists are the professionals who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to these records.

You may not find exactly what you were looking for, but you may also find much more than you expected. Preserve: Because materials in archival collections are unique, specialized, or rare, archivists strive to protect records from physical damage and theft so that they can be used today and in the future. Records Managers and Archivists: The records manager controls vast quantities of institutional records, most of which are needed in the short term and will eventually be destroyed. Archival sources can be manuscripts, documents, records (including electronic records), objects, sound and audiovisual materials, or other materials. Archives and Special Collections libraries do not typically offer translations of their materials.

If the repository is able to offer you reproductions (photocopies, PDFs, or audiovisual materials) of the materials you want to look at, expect to pay a fee. and assist you with reproduction orders where available. These and others like ISO are called file archives or simply archives , regardless of whether the file attribute is set. This can make it more difficult to find materials using WorldCat or other similar databases/catalogs. Archivists are happy to help orient you to their repository, provide information about their holdings, https://research.library.gsu.edu/archivalresearch, Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology, "Why Don't Archivists Digitize Everything", University of Texas at Austin's Harry Ransom Center's policy regarding proxy research. (Adapted from Laura Schmidt, Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research, available on the Society for American Archivists' website). Copyright © 1997-2020 by SAA. Most archival/Special Collections libraries will not lend their materials. Materials in archival collections are unique and often irreplaceable, whereas libraries can usually obtain new copies of worn-out or lost books. Archival research is research involving primary sources held in an archives, a Special Collections library, or other repository. The word archives can be used in three different ways: Excerpted from The Story Behind the Book: Preserving Authors’ and Publishers’ Archives by Laura Millar. Other scholars or editors may have published or otherwise made available translations of materials.


Archival records serve to strengthen collective memory and protect people’s rights, property, and identity. Examples: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This is not surprising, as many archivists share a location, materials, or goals with these professions. The archivist is concerned with relatively small quantities of records deemed important enough to be retained for an extended period. Examples: United Methodist Church Archives, American Jewish Archives. Not every collection will have an online finding aid. All rights reserved. Most Special Collections/archival libraries are not able to digitize all of their sources (collections) or make them publicly available.