A Guide to Archives and How To Use Them for Research

Archives are typically used by those looking for resources to successfully and accurately conduct research about the past. First Nations peoples may use archival records to establish legal claims to both land and privileges guaranteed by federal and provincial governments. Historians and others interested in history may also use archives to get a better understanding and first look at artifacts from the past. Others who might make use of archives include:

The artifact type determines how it is stored. For example, paper records are usually stored in acid-free folders and boxes that are then placed in dark spaces with consistent temperature and humidity. This is to help ensure they are not damaged.

Libraries — whether public or academic — are generally defined as a collection of books and/or other materials (both print and nonprint) organized and maintained for use. Patrons can access the library’s materials via the internet or by checking them out for home use.

Archives differ from libraries because of both the types of materials they hold and the way they are accessed. Archives have both published and unpublished materials as well as:

When a book is repeatedly checked out from the library, it will eventually cause wear and tear. This is the same with checking out a historical figure’s handwritten diary from an archive, except unlike a book from the library, the diary cannot be replaced. This is why archives have specific ways to handle and protect materials from damage and theft.

There are many archive categories that consist of different collections of work. Prior to conducting your research, it’s important to understand the different categories to help determine which one would grant you the best results.

College and university archives serve as the institutional memory of a college or university and play an integral role in managing the institution’s information resources in all media and formats. University archives are often accessed by:

Corporate archives are documents and other materials that are created and/or received by a company/organization during the course of operations. The value of these materials is preserved and available for review upon request.

It is important to note that corporate archives contain the records of a corporation, a legally recognized entity. However, the term may also be used to describe the records of informal groups.

Businesses and corporations can benefit from archiving because it:

Government archives — also known as national archives and records — are documents and materials that are created in the course of business conducted by the United States government. Government archives are handled by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), aka the “nation’s record keeper.”

NARA does not lend original documents for research use. However, original documents and artifacts may be loaned to qualifying institutions for exhibition when the purpose of the loan is to inform and educate the public about NARA.

Some historical societies might view their primary tasks as the study of national or local history, the collection and publication of sources, the preparation and publication of printed works, and the popularization of historical knowledge. However, other historical societies engage in a broader spectrum, such as the study of world history and its individual problems, historiography, and the methodology of history. Often, those individuals within a historical society represent the history of their country and corresponding international organization.

A museum is a nonprofit, permanent institution in the service of society that is open to the public. Museums acquire, conserve, research, communicate, and exhibit the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study, and enjoyment. There are approximately 35,000 museums in the United States which consist of many different types, including:

Religious or church archives consists of past sermons, board minutes, financial reports, annual congregational meetings, women’s alliance records, music programs, religious education curricula, religious education committee minutes, correspondence of ministers, correspondence of lay people, youth programs, building and grounds, and other categories as appropriate.

Special collections are libraries or library units that house materials requiring specialized security or user services. These materials can include but aren’t limited to rare books, manuscripts, photographs, archives, ephemera, and digital archives.

The primary function of a special collection is to provide researchers access to items from the past that have been properly preserved. The items within the special collection are stored away from the public in closed stacks and are non-circulating items, meaning they cannot be loaned or removed from the premises. The way to access the materials for research varies depending on the policies of the institution housing the materials.

A film archive is a collection of films that have been restored, preserved, documented, collected, and studied. The Academy Film Archive is home to one of the most extensive and diverse motion picture archives in the world. This includes personal collections from filmmakers such as:

Prospective borrowers must meet the required criteria and fill out a loan request form. It’s important to keep in mind that there are certain materials from the archive that aren’t able to be loaned out. For example:

Web archives record the entire contents of a web page, including its source HTML and embedded images, stylesheets, or JavaScript source. “Although web archives provide a valuable service, they are not perfect, and archiving a web page is very different from archiving a physical object or even a static file such as a PDF,” says Michele Weigle, author of “On the Importance of Web Archiving.”

Some of the most prominent web archives can be found by using:

Luckily, there are many ways to find an archive. You can use:

There are multiple employment opportunities within an archive. Here are the most common job titles.

It may not be apparent at first, but there are important rules and regulations to keep in mind prior to visiting an archive.

Typically, people such as historians, genealogists, lawyers, demographers, filmmakers, and others plan a visit to an archive to utilize the facility’s many resources to assist them in furthering their research.

It’s important to revisit the different archive types before planning a trip to an archive. For example, which of the following archive types would help to enhance your research?

Once you have established which type of archive to visit, you can look up where the closest facility is near you.

It can be surprising when researchers learn just how many guidelines there are when visiting an archive. Aside from basic unspoken rules such as being polite to other visitors and the staff and research room etiquette, those within the archive are expected to follow these archive guidelines.

It is also important that the researchers leave the materials in the order they were when they received them. This way they can be easily located and observed for future use. Repositories may provide place markers to help a researcher keep materials in order and to mark the pages they need for photocopying.

The overall layout of an archive varies among locations. However, most store their artifacts using the same storage techniques. This may include, but is not limited to the use of:

Artifacts are often passed down within a family. If you think you have a valuable artifact, you may want to consider donating it to an archive.

Here is a list of personal or family records that you can donate to an archive:

After you have found donatable items, you can ease the process along by organizing and describing the artifacts. When the materials being donated are organized ahead of time, it can make it more helpful for future researchers to navigate through. This can be done by writing down information relative to the artifact such as:

Refrain from using office supplies such as paper clips, tape, and sticky notes on the materials to ensure they aren’t damaged.

A repository refers to a central place where data is stored and maintained. They can also be a place where multiple databases and files are located for distribution over a network. Or they can act as a location that is directly accessible to the user without having to travel across a network. These can be useful for archives in the sense it provides a location to store all of the artifacts.

Before donating their materials, the donor will want to find their local repository. There, the employees will discuss with them the historical significance of their records and further advise them on where to go from there.

Those who are considering donating artifacts will also want to consider the following:

Recommended Reading

Additional Resources for Online Research

Careers in Public History

Careers for History Majors

Sources

Society of American Archivists

National Archives – What’s an Archivist?