LibGuides: Public Humanities: Finding Archives

Finding Archives

Finding Archives for North American History

Searching for archives and manuscript collections for your research into North American History? Here's how to start.

BruKnow Brown Library Search
Start here to search for books, articles, films, sound recordings and other resources provided by our library.

Use BruKnow to carry out a keyword search on Guide AND Archive* or Guide AND Manscript* (the asterisk will pick up singular and plural versions of the word). These searches will bring up a number of useful directories to collections. Some are older (but still relevant) print guides. Many of these are specific to particular geographic locations or topics.

Sinagua Site, Montezuma Well, Arizona. Photo by Karen Bouchard. Luna Collection.

Finding Aids for Brown Collections

RIAMCO
Consists of finding aids for archival and manuscript collections located in repositories across the state of Rhode Island. At present, RIAMCO consortium members include the Brown University Library, the John Carter Brown Library, RISD, the Rhode Island State Archives, the Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence College, Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University URI Special Collections, and the Westerly Public Library.
Collections A-Z
Capsule descriptions of collections of rare books, manuscripts, archives and other unique holdings of the John Hay Library, with links to online finding aids and related external links.

Beyond Brown

Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
Search online records at NARA (aka the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States).

WorldCat FirstSearch This link opens in a new window
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Comprehensive database of books and other materials in library catalogs around the world. Best used for advanced search of book records.

ArchiviaNet
The archival interface for Library and Archives Canada, including the collections of the former National Archives of Canada with the former National Library of Canada. Posted research tools include information on Canadian patents, census (1661-1911), immigration, land grants, and military records, as well as executive reports and other documentation of the government of Canada in the LAC collections.
Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web
A searchable index maintained by the Smithsonian which will help you locate materials at their home institutions. Covers a lot of ground.
NHPRC Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the U.S.
Though now more than 20 years old, this print version is still useful, particularly when combined with a web search to verify current status of the repository and its holdings.
National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC)
PLEASE NOTE: Listings created since 1986 are available online through an OCLC link. Be forewarned that using the provided search templates retrieves published items as well as manuscript material. You may find it more efficient to do a direct search of WorldCat using the "archival materials" checkbox. Listings created up to 1993 are available in print. The Brown University Library holds the print version, which is indexed to make searching easier. You will want to note that records created between 1986 and 1993 are available both online and in print.
Rhode Island Historical Records Advisory Board
Provides a comprehensive directory of all institutions and bodies in the State of Rhode Island that maintain historical records.