Tools for locating repositories and collections

ArchiveGrid access restricted to the U-M community

A guide to historical records, personal papers, and family histories held in archives around the world. Contains collection descriptions contributed by libraries, museums, archives, and other collecting bodies. A combination of brief descriptions derived from catalog records in the RLG Union Catalog, and more detailed archival finding aids harvested from the Internet, including those that conform to the EAD (Encoded Archival Description) format standard.

ArchivesUSA access restricted to the U-M community

ArchivesUSA provides access to records from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) , the National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS-US), 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). The index to NIDS-UK (now with more than 36,000 records) is available on CD-ROM near the Graduate Library Information and Reference Center, and refers to the microfiche collection MICRO-F X342.

NUCMC

The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections page at the Library of Congress includes information about NUCMC, links to archive-related websites, and a connection to the RLIN AMC file.

WorldCat access restricted to the U-M community

Additional records can be located by using the "advanced" search options for this major database of library holdings; limit by document type "archival materials".

NARA Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
(formerly known as NAIL)

An online catalog for holdings of the National Archives and Records Admninistration (NARA), which includes 33 national, regional and presidential sites; approximately 13% of NARA holdings have so far been entered into ARC. You may search the database for materials relating to organizations, persons and topics, and can limit to selected sites, media formats, and description levels; links are provided to digital images, when available (now more than 124,000). The main NARA site also provides links to online exhibits, and to the online Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States.

Repositories of Primary Sources

A directory of more than 5,500 collections worldwide, organized by state, province or country.

Ready, 'Net, Go, Internet Resources for Archives

A meta-index of directories of archival sites and search engines.

Archon

Maintained by the National Archives: Historical Manuscripts Commission (UK), Archon provides directory information (including email and URLs) for archival collections and repositories in the UK, as well as overseas repositories indexed the National Register of Archives (NRA). NRA is an index to finding aids relating to British history, and can be searched by corporate, personal, family and place names.

National Archives (UK)

Formed in 2003 by the merger of the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the Public Record Office (P.R.O.) Browse or search the catalogues of more than 9 million records for materials in the British national archives. The Access to Archives (A2A) program provides a searchable union catalogue of archival holdings for England.

Archives Nationales

Databases at the French national archives include Egérie (a searchable index to the État général des fonds), and Archim (digital images from the collections).

LexisNexis Primary Sources in U.S. History ( Guides to Microforms)

Provides searchable guides to microform research collections from University Publications of America (CIS). The University Library owns many of these sets, which focus on U.S. materials; others can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

Primary Source Microfilm (Guides to Microforms)

Online guides (usually searchable) for a wide range of microform collections from another major publisher -- Primary Source Microfilm. UM owns many of these, but MCAT will not always contain records for each separate title, within a larger collection. Materials not held by UM can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Purchase recommendations will also be entertained.

Archives and Archivists listserv

One of several mailing lists which can be used to request assistance with archival questions. For additional suggestions visit the Society of American Archivists .

Encoded Archival Finding Aids (EAD)

Bentley Historical Library Finding Aids

This site provides access to finding aids or descriptive inventories for archival records and manuscript collections at the Bentley Historical Library Link to search form from this page.

Library of Congress Finding Aids Project

General information about EAD, Panorama (an SGML viewer), and links to finding aids at the Library of Congress. Finding aids are also searchable. For more details go to the official EAD site. The Library of Congress also maintains a large and diverse collection of online materials, accessible through American Memory.

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.

Iowa Women's Archives

Based on the collections of the University of Iowa Libraries; finding aids are available in either HTML or SGML (and sometimes both).

California Heritage Project

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; part of the Online Archive of California. One highlight is "War Relocation Authority Photographs of Japanese-American Evacuation and Resettlement, 1942-1945."

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.

Harvard/Radcliffe Digital Finding Aids Project (OASIS)

Collaboration between library units (including Houghton Library and the Harvard College Archives) has produced more than 60 SGML-encoded archival finding aids.

Other Useful Sites

Manuscripts Division, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan

A rich resource for American history (15th-early 20th c.); some online finding aids.

Labadie Collection, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan

One of the world's foremost collections of social protest literature, particularly on the history of anarchism; some online guides and exhibits.

Library Research Using Primary Sources (UC Berkeley)

AccuNet/Associated Press Photo Archive access restricted to the U-M community