Tools for locating repositories and collections
ArchivesUSA provides access to records from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) , the National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS), and the Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States (DAMRUS). Repository information may include e-mail and URL; collection information may include links to online finding aids. Note: NIDS fiche numbers refer to finding aids located in the Serials and Microforms Division, 2 Hatcher-South (MICRO-F X343).
<http://archives.chadwyck.com/>
RLIN Archival and Mixed Collections file (AMC)
Contains records describing collections of primary source materials (correspondence, diaries, photographs, oral histories, drawings, public records, personal papers, etc.) related to individuals, major events, places, and government bodies. Records come from RLIN user libraries and special collections (academic, public, and corporate), government repositories, libraries, museums and historical societies. European repositories are beginning to contribute. The current size exceeds 509,298 records (10/11/99). Accessible by searching RLIN (then limiting results to "material type -- archival", or through the NUCMC gateway.
The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections page at the Library of Congress includes information about NUCMC, links to archive related web sites, and a connection to the RLIN AMC file.
<http://lcweb.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmc.html>
Provides centralized access for searching and retrieval of archival finding aids that have been created using the emerging standard for Encoded Archival Description (EAD), as well as access to collection records from the RLG Archival File (AMC). More than 4,000 collection guides are now available, primarily from U.S. repositories. Recently, many finding aids written in HTML have been added to the database.
Additional records can be located by using the "advanced" search options for this major database of library holdings; limit by format type "manuscript".
NARA Archival Information Locator (NAIL)
An online catalog for holdings of the National Archives and Records Admninistration (NARA), which includes 33 national, regional and presidential sites. Database searching can be limited to selected sites, media formats, and description levels; links are provided to digital images, when available. The main NARA site also provides links to online exhibits, and to the online Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives (gopher).
<http://www.nara.gov/nara/nail.html>
Repositories of Primary Sources
A directory of more than 2,000 collections worldwide, organized by state, province or country.
<http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html>
Ready, 'Net, Go, Internet Resources for Archives
A meta-index of directories of archival sites and search engines.
<http://www.tulane.edu/~lmiller/ArchivesResources.html>
Maintained by the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts; provides access to information on archival collections and repositories in the UK.
< http://www.hmc.gov.uk/archon/archon.htm>
Browse or search the catalogue of more than 8 million records for materials in the British national archives.
< http://www.pro.gov.uk/finding/start.htm>
Databases at the French national archives include Égerie (a searchable index to the État général des fonds), and Archim (digital images from the collections).
< http://www.culture.fr/culture/sedocum/caran.htm>
History Universe -- Access to Primary Sources
Provides searchable guides to microform research collections from University Publications of America (CIS). The University Library owns many of these sets, which focus on US materials.
< http://cisweb.lexis-nexis.com/histuniv/ >
Archives and Archivists listserv
One of several mailing lists which can be used to request assistance with archival questions.
<http://www.angelfire.com/oh/harlanjohnb/archives.html>
Encoded Archival Finding Aids (EAD)
Library of Congress Finding Aids Project
General information about EAD, Panorama (an SGML viewer), and links to finding aids at the Library of Congress. For brief descriptions of projects at other institutions, see EAD Sites on the Web.
<http://www.loc.gov/rr/ead/eadhome.html>
<http://www.loc.gov/ead/eadsites.html>
Guides to
Manuscript and Archival Collections
Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
A large collection of finding aids which can be browsed or searched; links to other EAD sites are also provided.
<http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/ead/>
Based on the collections of the University of Iowa Libraries; finding aids are available in either HTML or SGML (and sometimes both).
<http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/findinga.htm>
A digital archive of manuscripts and photographs, based on searchable finding aids for the collections of the Bancroft Library (U. C. Berkeley); the digital images are embedded within the finding aids. One highlight is War Relocation Authority Photographs of Japanese-American Evacuation and Resettlement, 1942-1945.
<http://sunsite.berkeley.edu:38008/ead/calher/>
<http://sunsite.berkeley.edu:38008/ead/calher/jvac/1.toc>
Yale University Library Finding Aids Project
Provides links to a variety of EAD sites, as well as access to more than 300 finding aids to collections at Yale. Note that the Yale OPAC has incorporated links to these guides.
<http://webtext.library.yale.edu/search.html>
Harvard/Radcliffe Digital Finding Aids Project
Collaboration between library units (including Houghton Library and the Harvard College Archives) has produced more than 60 SGML-encoded archival finding aids.
<http://findingaids.harvard.edu/dfap/>
Bentley Historical Library EAD Finding Aids Project
Detailed description of efforts at the Bentley Library, as well as helpful explanation of common archival terms. Finding aids may be browsed or searched.
<http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/EAD/index.htm>
last updated 10/11/99
Bryan Skib
Information and Resource Coordinator, Research Services
University of Michigan Library
bskib@umich.edu