Research Guides: Archival Research: Finding Physical Archives Beyond SSU

Search Tools to Discover Physical Archives Collections

The following tools can be used to search descriptions of archives collections. This will not provide images of specific items in the collection, but it can at least reveal which libraries and institutions own useful collections on a subject.

OAC (Online Archive of California) This link opens in a new window
Access to archival collection descriptions from several hundred cultural and historical institutions in California- covering many different topics of research.

World Cat
Over 180 million records describing library holdings in more than 400 languages from libraries worldwide.
ArchiveGrid
Includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.

Using Archives: A Guide from the Society of American Archivists

This web-based guide covers:

How archives function
How to identify appropriate archives for your research
How to access historical materials and research at an archives

Photo by The National Archives (United Kingdom) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

University Library

Archival Research

A Few Major Archival Catalogs and Finding Aids

Search Tools to Discover Physical Archives Collections

Using Archives: A Guide from the Society of American Archivists