The word "archives" refers to three entities: the records created by a person, family, or organization; the place that houses these records; and the organization responsible for the archival materials and record preservation.
1. Archives as materials
Archival materials are things produced by people, families and organizations such as paintings, photographs, letters, scrapbooks, reports, social media posts, newspapers, etc. In order to be considered "archival" these materials must have long-term historical or evidential value. In archives, evidential value is the value that is attached to records because of the evidence they contain about the organization and its function. Historical value refers to the value of the record to support the study of human history.
2. Archives as places
Archives as places refers to the location where the archival materials are stored.
3. Archives as organizations
Archives as organizations refers to the organization or entity responsible for the long-term preservation of the archives. This includes caring for the individual materials as well as for the building in which they are housed.
To learn more about archival research read, Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research, by Laura Schmidt on the Society of American Archivists website.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the government agency that acts as the record keeper for the United States by preserving and maintaining materials and making them available for research. NARA’s holdings are created either by or for the Federal Government. This material comes from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the Federal Government. Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by NARA forever. The National Archives is the U.S. Government’s collection of documents that records important events in American history.
Visit the National Archives and Records Administration website to learn more about the agency and search the National Archives catalog. The website also has tips for conducting archival research and online exhibitions.
A finding aid is a document written by an archivist that describes an archival collection. A finding aid is essentially an inventory that describes the history of a collection and the contents of a collection. Finding aids help a researcher navigate and understand the contents of a collection in order to identify materials relevant to their research. Below are the common components of a finding aid.
1. Title page
The beginning of a finding aid includes the name of the archival repository, the title of the archival collection, finding aid creation information, and a date range for the materials in the collection.
2. Summary Information
The summary information section lists the creator of the materials in the collection, the size and extent of the collection such as the number of boxes and linear feet of the collection, call numbers and storage locations, languages represented in the collection, and an abstract or brief description of the collection contents.
3. Access and Use
The access and use section notes any restrictions placed on an archival collection. Other information in this section includes how the archives received the collection, and copyright and citation notes.
4. Background Information
The background information section details the history or biographical information relating to the collection and how the collection was created.
5. Scope and Content Notes
The scope and content notes section provides an overview of the types of materials in the collection.
6. Arrangement
The arrangement section details how materials in the collection have been arranged. The different sections of the collection (series and subseries) organize collection content by type of material, format, topic, or some other filing system determined by the archival staff, and/or the original creator of the collection.
7. Subject Terms
The subject terms section includes a list of terms, topics, keywords, etc. covered in the collection and usually linked to a library catalog to provide the researcher with materials in similar categories.
8. Contents Listing
The contents listing section is sometimes also called “container contents” or "box and folder lists." This is a box-by-box, folder-by-folder listing of the materials stored in the collection. The level of detail in this section may vary depending on collection scope and individual repository practices.
An example of a finding aid can be found on the Society of American Archivists website.
This video from the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries is a great introduction to archival materials and finding aids. It provides a thorough outline of a finding aid and describes each section to help you understand how to use a finding aid.
Featured below are some of the major archives or online archival repositories in the United States. You can search these archives for materials pertinent to your research. Not all items found in these archives have been digitized.
Contact the archive in advance before visiting in-person. Reasons for contacting an archive in advance are listed below.
Archival materials are often irreplaceable, rare, fragile, and at risk of theft. Due to the nature of archival material, archives typically have the following rules and procedures: