Archives and manuscript collections may be housed:
within larger research library systems, such as academic libraries (e.g. the Labadie Collection at University of Michigan,
at museums (e.g. the Collections and Archives at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum),
or at the source of the material itself (e.g. the Associated Press Corporate Archives).
They are unparalleled sources of primary materials such as letters, original manuscripts, and collections associated with individuals often include personal effects (such as Herbert H. Lehman’s collection of dog figurines).
Locating archives and manuscripts:
At a research library, to access collections held there, use their own system (at Columbia, here are tips for using CLIO to find archives & manuscripts).
If you are at a research library and doing a more general search, ArchiveGrid should be accessible to you. It includes the archival and manuscript holdings of thousands of libraries, museums, and archives from around the world.
However, ArchiveGrid doesn’t include everything. When searching for a collection of papers from an individual, WorldCat can also be of assistance.
If you’re without access to ArchiveGrid or WorldCat, Google sometimes helps.
How archives are described:
Archival collections are described using guidelines which are different from those used in cataloging books in a library collection. EAD, or Encoded Archival Description, is the technical standard used for encoding archival finding aids.
Finding aids are your point of entry into a given archival collection.
Finding aid for the Roone Arledge papers (Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library).
