Individual Article:
ArchiveGrid streamlines search process
As discussed in the Fall 2006 issue of Library Briefings, archival and manuscript collections have traditionally been difficult for researchers to locate because they are not cataloged the same way as books or articles. Individual repositories have begun using technology to make access easier, and union databases have improved as well. Now from OCLC, the folks who bring you WorldCat and other electronic resources, comes a remarkable new database of archival collections. ArchiveGrid was available for trial for several months in 2006—long enough for a researcher in the humanities to become addicted to the database’s ease of use and the vast resources it represents. Northwestern University Library has subscribed to ArchiveGrid, giving the Northwestern community access to thousands of archives and manuscript repositories worldwide.
The most exciting feature of ArchiveGrid is the range of participating repositories—from county historical societies and small public libraries to large academic and research institutions (see a partial list of contributing repositories). ArchiveGrid is also refreshingly easy to use; instructions are clear, and it uses simple keyword searches rather than a fussy and complex search process. A search in ArchiveGrid speedily produces a list of archival collections where the search term occurs in the description, with links to the description of each collection.
While some collection records include a link to a complete finding aid (guide to the collection), and others are described at some length, some consist of just one brief sentence. But researchers will agree that the goal is to discover that a collection exists at all, or that the obscure topic or person they are investigating is documented in an unexpected collection. And each record provides the contact information for the specific repository, which the researcher will always need in order to find out about getting photocopies or planning a visit. (NOTE: as with any online search for archival materials, researchers should realize that, in most cases, they will find the description of a collection, not the digitized materials).
As with so many databases and other electronic resources, the value of the search results depends on the quality of the information that went into each record. One minor problem with ArchiveGrid is that it was built from records submitted to the old RLG Union Catalog, and some of the information in these is outdated. But repositories are now adding new records in various formats (including EAD—Encoded Archival Description) to ArchiveGrid, so the database should become even more useful over time.
In my personal research experience with ArchiveGrid (searching for letters written by an obscure individual), not only did I discover leads to unlikely collections in unlikely repositories, but I was also pointed to letters in repositories whose databases and catalogs I had already searched without success. And, as an archivist, I am delighted to see a database that provides such easy, friendly access to archival collections. ArchiveGrid is not the magic wand that researchers dream of, but it is a very useful divining rod for locating elusive primary sources.
Janet C. Olson
University Archives
j-olson@northwestern.edu
847-491-3136