What Are Archives?
What are Archives? An Introduction from Atlas Systems.
Local Archives
- Chicago History MuseumThe Research Center holds the printed material, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, architectural drawings, and assorted ephemera of the Chicago History Museum.
- Center for Research LibrariesEffective July 1, 2024, the Center for Research Libraries membership will longer be available to DePaul University.
Visit our Cancellations page to learn more. If you have any questions, please contact John Leeker.
Print Guides to Collections
You may find it useful to use a published guide to find a resource or an archive. Here are some of the main tools for finding archives, located in DePaul's Reference Collection. You can find more print guides like these by searching in the catalog. Use the term catalogs in your search.
- National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.Descriptions of approximately 72,300 collections located in 1406 different repositories with approximately 1,085,000 index references to topical subjects and personal, family, corporate, and geographic names.
- Guide to federal records in the National Archives of the United StatesTwo volumes describe the nearly 1.7 million cubic feet of federal records transferred to the custody of the US Archivist as of October 1, 1994. These records are from the government's executive, legislative, and judicial branches. V.3 contains the index to these descriptions. All types of federal records textual, electronic, and audiovisual are covered.
- Catalogue of the pre-1500 western manuscript books at the Newberry LibraryThe Newberry Library in Chicago possesses a major collection of medieval and Renaissance manuscript books, including bibles and breviaries, books of hours and book of homilies, and seminal texts on astronomy. Saenger (curator of rare books, Newberry Library) has identified the text, illumination, physical structure, and provenance for each of the 200+ books in the collection. Handsomely produced and illustrated.
- Census of medieval and renaissance manuscripts in the United States and Canada3 vols. Published under the auspices of the American Councils of Learned Societies.
Online Guides to Collections
The main online tools for locating archival collections are listed below. While these guides are online, the sources themselves are not. Search these databases to find descriptions of materials held in archives and special collections around the world.
- ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new windowProvides access to nearly a million descriptions of archival collections owned by thousands of libraries, museums, historical societies and archives worldwide. Useful for searching for historical documents, personal papers and family histories held in archives.
- National ArchivesThe National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Find both online documents and information about material preserved in the archives.
- WorldCat This link opens in a new windowWhen searching, Limit Type to: Archival Materials. Contains records from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections from 1986-present.
Planning a Trip
Sometimes the only way to find a document is to make a special trip to an archive.
For more advice on what to expect when visiting an archive, read this Survival Guide to Archival Research from the American Historical Association.