Locating Manuscripts and Archival Collections: Home

Locating manuscripts and archival collections held in North America (and worldwide) relies on being able to properly search a few key databases, including WorldCat, ArchiveGrid, and Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC). Repositories make their holdings available to these databases in the form of online catalog records or finding aids, which consist of guides to collections or collection summaries.

In addition to these main databases for manuscripts and archival collections, there are many state and regional databases students should also check when searching for these materials. There is a tab on this guide dedicated to some of these more geographical databases.

Each of the key databases should be searched to find all available collections. WorldCat, ArchiveGrid, and SNAC use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).

To better understand LCSH, please visit: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awgc1/lc_subject.html.

For a LoC Classification Outline, please visit: https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/

To view a list of LCSH, please visit: http://www.loc.gov/aba/publications/FreeLCSH/freelcsh.html

Keep in mind that after you have located the main collection of an individual’s or organization’s papers:

• sets of outgoing letters and other material may be found in other peoples’ or organizations’ papers
• sometimes a single person’s papers are split up among multiple repositories

This research guide was based on a similar guide created by Harvard University. For more information, please see: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/archives/us