Finding aids can be helpful tools for researchers in determining whether or not a set of records is relevant to their topic, and can also help them navigate the collection to find the. A chronological list of individual documents, either selective or comprehensive, usually with a description providing such information as writer, recipient, date, place, summary of content, type of document, and page or leaf count. Encoded archival description ead is a standard for encoding descriptive information regarding archival records. The society of american archivists adopted describing archives. Thisprocessingmanualwascreatedbyasubcommitteeofthespecialcollectionscataloging teamoftheuniversityofmarylandlibraries. The finding aids are hosted on the archives west consortiums website.
Finding aid 2 is a single document that places the materials in context by consolidating information about the collection, such as acquisition and processing. The following is a partial list of finding aids of the holdings of archives and special collections. Some archives may provide digital copies of finding aids upon request. Cataloguing archive collections the national archives. Finding aids to collections of library of congress archival materials are available here in versions encoded in extensible markup language xml using the encoded archival description ead.
A finding aid, in the context of archival science, is a tool containing detailed, indexed, and processed information about a specific collection of records within an archive. Finding aid 1 includes a wide range of formats, including card indexes, calendars, guides, inventories, shelf and container lists, and registers. Guides and finding aids provide detailed information on general and selected subjects documented in the holdings of the national archives. Ead comprises a document type definition dtd for encoding archival finding aids others. A selection of electronic finding aids are posted here to help researchers better understand the composition of a particular collection. Articles revisiting the archival finding aid richard j. Most people are familiar with interpreting a library catalogue entry say in an online library.
Archives and records management resources national archives. Although extensive, these are not complete lists of our holdings. These archives document the people and organizations responsible for the creation, maintenance and preservation of the locks, canals, and structures. Finding aids often consist of a documentary inventory and description of the materials, their source, and their structure. You may also view current agency descriptions and histories in the tennessee blue book. In the end, we selected the polar bear expedition materials, a group of over 60 interrelated collections held by the bentley historical library at the university of michigan, as. Center for restoration studies archives, manuscripts and. In an archive, it is the first place to go learn about a set of records or a collection of personal papers, documents or manuscripts. Hagley museum and library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of american enterprise. Hagleys collections document the interaction between business and the cultural, social, and political dimensions of our society from the late 18th century to the present.
It enables you to find a letter, diary, or other document involving a specific personitems that may be part of a collection you didnt know about or may not have thought to search. For several decades archivists have promoted collective or aggregate description of materials using finding aids that usually describe materials to the. We have a variety of guides, reference information papers, lists, and other finding aids. The beginning of the 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. Finding aids are used by researchers to determine whether information within a collection may be relevant to their research. Clarify the scope, nature, and availability of the database in finding aid note. However, like many other disciplines, they have carried out such work in violation of systems analysis. The collection also contains material created prior to decs founding, dating as early as 1947, and material from the organizations. Links to the librarys search finding aids application and to information about the ead as an archival standard are also provided. Finding aids of the archives and special collections. Archive catalogues have a hierarchical structure, which simply means that things are arranged in levels. Identifies any other finding aids to the materials being described, such as published works or urls to online finding aids. When making pdfa1b files, use adobe pro to add ocr, descriptive metadata and information and to edit, bookmarks. The digital equipment corporation records are made up of material created and collected at the company during its active years from 1957 to 1998.
Creating the next generation of archival finding aids. The content of a finding aid may differ depending on the type of material it is. Detailed description guidelines pdf ead tagging guidelines pdf pdf standards for legacy inventories pdf digitization methods html pdfa standards for digital reproductions pdf transcription of handwritten documents. You may need to contact an archivist to learn more about which finding aids are available online, and which are not. Selected indexes to large and oftenused state records have also been prepared by library and archives staff. How are resources classified and cataloged in a library or archive. This is a list of selected finding aids for archival holdings maintained at the national archives at denver. Use for agencycreated filing plans, not naracreated finding aids. Archival records differ from the items in a library collection because they are unique, usually unpublished and unavailable elsewhere, and. Creating finding aids in xml xmetal background to ead and the xmetal template. Finding aids, collection descriptions, and research assistance. It replaced archives, personal papers, and manuscripts,1 which had. Best practices for creating finding aids so youve processed the collection.
In addition, the navy department library also has a number of research guides for their special collections. The public affairs office collection in the nasa ames history archives comprises news materials, audiovisual media, subject files, and photographs produced and accumulated by public affairs office staff. The finding aid for a collection is usually compiled by the collections entity of origin. The types of documents in this collection include but are not limited to deeds, titles, insurance, notes, correspondence, reports, bulletins, pamphlets, blueprints, newsletters, and newspaper articles. While most institutions are working to get finding aids online, this is an ongoing process for many organizations.
Archives of the american baptist churches in the usa pdf original church records pdf guide to africanamerican resources pdf. We have a new online catalog for archives and manuscripts that we invite you to explore. Some archives just have paper copies to use onsite, while others have word processing documents, pdf, or htmlxml finding aids that can be viewed on their websites. Finding finding aids on the world wide web american university. The attorney general is the lawyer for the people of texas and is charged by the texas constitution to defend the laws and the constitution of the state of texas, represent the state in litigation, and approve public bond issues. Records are kept on the local level, so you will have to know the town they lived in. Scholar, writer, editor of the crisis and other journals, cofounder of the niagara movement, the naacp, and the pan african congresses, international spokesperson for peace and for the rights of oppressed minorities, w. Finding aids often consist of a documentary inventory and description of the. Research guides and finding aids united states navy. A finding aid neither duplicates a collection, nor serves as a substitute for one. Finding aids are tools that help a user find information in a specific record group, collection, or series of archival materials.
The next generation finding aids research group identified several potential finding aid instances for its first project. Defining your research topic and knowing what sorts of materials you are looking for will help you determine the appropriate institutions to contact. Pdf on dec 18, 2015, lou ellen kramer and others published ead finding aids. Keep in mind that not every collection is represented here. A finding aid is a detailed description of an archival collection. Pdfa1b files can be used to deliver webaccessible reproductions of transcripts, translations, indexes, or other scanned collection content. University archives finding aids the winthrop university archives is the memory center for all university records of historical significance. Not all finding aids will incorporate these elements, but this sample should reflect a range of options researchers might encounter in finding aid formats. An evaluation of crowdsourcing and participatory archives. Finding aids for german records genealogy familysearch wiki. A finding aid is a document that provides a description of an archival collection to guide people in using the collection for research.
Rather it is a guide to a collection because it informs researchers about the collections creator, scope and content. Du bois was a son of massachusetts who articulated the strivings of african americans and developed a trenchant analysis of the problem of the color line in the twentieth. While the electronic finding aids are unclassified, records. Electronic versions are also commonly available via archival databases see the end of this post.
A content standard dacs as the official content standard of the u. Finding aids lowell national historical park holds significant personal papers, organizational archives and nps resource management records that are directly associated with the parks resources. University archives finding aids winthrop university. Dacs was designed to be used to create a variety of archival descriptions, including finding aids and catalog records. Marc 535 information about the existence, location, availability, andor the destruction of originals where.
Ead, or encoded archival description, is a standard for encoding finding aids for use in an online environment. The finding aids in the archives the public are not allowed into the strongrooms where the documents are stored. Finding and evaluating archives society of american. Some archives will create catalog records for unprocessed collections as a means to signal their existence. Note that certain types of documents are filed with the city clerk by various city departments. The finding aid type authority list provides data values for the finding aid type element. Elizabeth graeme fergusson 17371801, considered to be the outstanding female poet of her place and time, was a leader in the literary world of colonial pennsylvania and an avid writer, who composed poems, songs, travel accounts and other writings, referencing literature, natural history, religion, politics and current events. Guide to the digital equipment corporation records, 19472002.
Do not use database if the database is used primarily to produce a printed or otherwise fixed finding aid, such as a folder list. These interactive record type guides provide state employees with a tool to identify similar record types that appear in various parts of the functional schedule for north carolina state agencies, depending on why they are created or received. It preserves a variety of materials relating to the origin and development of winthrop, and to the achievements of its officers, faculty, staff, alumni and students. How to read a finding aid primary sources in archives. Introduction to creating archival finding aids, for society of indiana archivists. Marc coding and data content guidelines pdf finding aids. An overview of the types and ranges of material formats, dates, events. Note that finding aids come in all kinds of formats. Schlesingers ead documents are encoded in xml, or extensible markup language, and are formally defined by a schema, or rules file. Paper copies of finding aids are often available in the reading rooms of archives. A finding aid is a written guide to a collection that describes what is in the collection and how it is arranged, as well as giving context for how, why, and by whom the documents in the collection were created.
Choose the correct term from the finding aid type authority list if the finding aid is an electronic database, use database as finding aid type. St bartholomews hospital archives 2017 discover finding aids. Daniels 1984note on web versiontable stripedtrue responsivetrue the following glossary, developed by the then national archives and records service in 1984 for a modern archives reader. How to create an ead finding aid in xmetal proceed. In addition, bibliographic records for all of the monographs in the department and some collectionlevel descriptions of the archival and manuscripts collections appear in the librarys online catalog the following overview of our collection is intended to. Archival finding aid an overview sciencedirect topics. To complete your research and use the records, you may need to visit us. Standardization of finding aids and integration of descrip tive approaches to various types of archival media should be a goal of the. Archivists and digital librarians feel a fundamental tension today between two types of wellestablished standards, practices and workflows employed by most academic research libraries. Finding aids for german records for important details edit edit source to begin using the records of germany, knowing that your family came from germany will not be enough to use the records of germany. Basic readings on archival theory and practice, is provided on this website as an aid to persons unfamiliar with common archival terms. There are two main kinds of finding aids in the archives, the card index and the catalogue.