HERE are some web links to papers and archives in
repositories. Some links lead to indexes of whole collections; some lead to
specific finding aids or to online records for personal papers within
collections. Some lead to information on the care of private papers and
archives. This is a sampling of sites that we like best and find useful in our
own research. The "meta" ones may take you anywhere, so beware of going adrift.
Focus on what you are after.
A
list of over 2600 web sites that describe holdings of manuscripts, archives,
rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources. Some lead to
index lists of the repository's holdings and on into the individual finding aids
themselves. Others are online brochures that provide only brief and general
descriptions of repository holdings. Overall, a rich
resource.
Just what it says it is. Covers collections in the U.S.
Traditionally (as a print catalog) the place to look for the private papers of
individuals. Lets you cut to the
chase with a search box so that you can look for what you are looking for. As is the case with every other print
and electronic database in the world, however, no matter what the title or the
claim it does not cover everything. But it covers a lot. Click directly into the
Z39.50 Gateway to the RLINAMC file. (That's the Research libraries Information
Network Archives and Manuscripts Control file.)
Research resources held primarily by the Institution's
libraries, archives, and research
units. Five searchable catalogs, including an Art Inventories Catalog. Click to the Archives & Manuscripts
Catalog to search the huge holdings of
ARTISTS' PAPERS at the Archives of American Art.
This "Resources for Conservation Professionals," a
project of the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries,
includes a great deal of very
useful general information. Full text articles cover
topics of interest "to those involved with the conservation of library, archives
and museum materials." Some articles are technical. Others are general reader
readable discussions of topics including copyright & intellectual property,
digital imaging, disaster planning, mold, pest control, and environment control
for archival materials.
This "meta index" links to all major archives indexes, lists, and
databases. Its claim is that through it "you can link to every archives and
archival resource in the metaverse."
It is big and it does
contain many direct links to searchable databases and full texts, but nothing
really gets directly to all of it.
http://info.lib.uh.edu/speccoll/specres.htmAnother "meta" site with links to a wide range of
categories (Antiquarian Book Dealers, Preservation Resources, Special
Collections sites including NUCMC, RLIN, etc.). Within categories, sites are
arranged alphabetically. This page may be linked to in its
entirety.
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb/usa-acad.html
This service provides Libweb as a WAIS database. In
addition to institution
names, the database includes locations (usually city,
state, and country),
library type, and in some cases consortium affiliation.
These are libraries, but
library web pages often link to archives and special
collections.
ARCHIVESUSA*
$$$$
Annual subscription. In case the others don't yield what
you want, you might try
to
find a place that has this and offers access to it. It is the mega of megas,
including as it does NIDS, the National Inventory of
Documentary Sources, with
its
microfiche file of personal and family papers finding aids. Not many public
libraries have NIDS or ARCHIVES USA; but if you're near
the Widener at Harvard,
say, or another university research library, you might
call to inquire about
their access policy for public use.
ARCHIVESUSA* has "information about primary
source materials from nearly 4,500 US manuscript
repositories" including
detailed indexes, of "nearly 100,000 manuscript and
other special collections."
There is to our knowledge no free web link to this
database, only links to pages
describing it and other Chadwyck Healy products. But this considerable
family of resources is one for the serious searcher to
know about.