covered elsewhere. Search simultaneously with Essay and General Literature Retrospective by selecting both resources from the “choose databases” link.Essay and General Literature Retrospective: Indexes over 270,000 essays from anthologies and collections covering a wide range of humanities and social sciences disciplines published in English in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain between 1900 and 1984. Search simultaneously with Essay and General Literature Index by selecting both resources from the “choose databases” link.

Historical Abstracts: Historical Abstracts covers the history of the world (excluding the U.S. and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, the history of education, and more. Indexes more than 2,300 academic historical journals in over 40 languages from 1955 to the present. Includes links to full text, where available.


ore. Indexes more than 2,300 academic historical journals in over 40 languages from 1955 to the present. Includes links to full text, where available.Humanities Source: Over 1,500 full-text journals dating back to 1907.  Includes millions of records covering archaeology, art, communications, dance, film, folklore, history, journalism, linguistics, literary and social criticism, classical studies, area studies and gender studies. Should be included in any humanities search.

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism: More than 300 entries on critics, theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods from Plato and Aristotle to the present. Updated annually.

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS)


, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods from Plato and Aristotle to the present. Updated annually.JSTOR: A digital library containing journals, books, images, and primary sources. The GC’s subscription includes JSTOR’s Arts and Sciences I-XII collections of scholarly journals across the social sciences and humanities. Coverage begins with the first issue of almost every journal and continues through varying periods within the last five years. Also included are more than 700 freely accessible collections of illustrations, letters, literary documents, newspapers, magazines, photographs, postcards, and yearbooks; open access alternative press publications from the latter half of the 20th century; and thousands of research reports. 3+ million images in Artstor are also now discoverable in JSTOR. Browse content by subject, title, or collection, or search across the full resource. Register for a free personal account to save materials and organize your work.


t by subject, title, or collection, or search across the full resource. Register for a free personal account to save materials and organize your work.LGBTQ+ Source: Full text from over 150 LGBTQi (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Intersex) journals, magazines, and newspapers and over 150 books. The database includes comprehensive indexing and abstract coverage as well as a specialized LGBTQ+ Thesaurus containing over 10,000 terms.

Oxford Index (All Oxford Databases): Search all Oxford University Press databases to which the Graduate Center subscribes: Oxford Art Online, Oxford Bibliographies Online, Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford Handbooks Online, Oxford History of Western Music, Oxford Journals Online, Oxford Language Dictionaries Online, Oxford Music Online, Oxford Reference Online, and Oxford Scholarship Online. After performing a search, you must check the "Show only full text provided by CUNY Graduate Center" box.


rence Online, and Oxford Scholarship Online. After performing a search, you must check the "Show only full text provided by CUNY Graduate Center" box.Project Muse: The CUNY and Graduate Center subscriptions provide access to the full text of nearly 400 journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences along with over 70,000 e-books and 4,600 open access books.  Select “Browse All Muse” and filter by Access type “Only content I have access to” to see subscribed and OA content. Or look for the green check mark and OA icons that appear next to accessible titles when searching across the platform. E-books are also available via the separate link to Project Muse E-Books .


s that appear next to accessible titles when searching across the platform. E-books are also available via the separate link to Project Muse E-Books .Social Sciences Full Text: Provides access to English-language social science journals, including full text from 215 titles beginning in 1995 and indexing and abstracts of over 625 titles beginning in 1983, 400 of which are peer-reviewed. Subject coverage includes addiction studies, anthropology, community health & medical care, communications, economics, environmental studies, ethics, family studies, gender studies, geography, international relations, law, mass media, minority studies, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, urban studies and more.


national relations, law, mass media, minority studies, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, urban studies and more.Social Sciences Index Retrospective: 1907-1983: Indexes hundreds of important journals in the social sciences. Subject coverage Includes addiction studies, anthropology, area studies, communications and mass media, community health and medical care, criminal justice, economics, environmental studies, family studies, gender studies, geography, international relations, law, minority studies, planning and public administration, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology and urban studies.

Social Theory: More than 150,000 pages of content by such major theorists as Theodor Adorno, Jean Baudrillard, Simone de Beauvoir, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Émile Durkheim, Michel Foucault, Jürgen Habermas, Karl Marx, Robert Merton, Dorothy E. Smith, and Talcott Parsons. Search across the resource or browse authors, titles, theories, or subjects.


abermas, Karl Marx, Robert Merton, Dorothy E. Smith, and Talcott Parsons. Search across the resource or browse authors, titles, theories, or subjects.SocINDEX with Full Text: Comprehensive coverage of sociology, encompassing all sub-disciplines and related areas of study. The database features 2.1 million records with subject headings from a 20,000+ term sociological thesaurus. Also contains abstracts for more than 4,650 journals, some dating to 1895 and extensive indexing for books/monographs and conference papers. Contains full text for more than 830 books and monographs, 16,800 conference papers, and 860 journals dating back to 1908. Searchable cited references and thousands of author profiles are also included.

Very Short Introductions via NYPL: Please log in using your New York Public Library credentials! The full text of the entire catalog of Oxford University Press's Very Short Introductions series. The books in this platform offer concise overviews to a range of academic  subjects in the arts & humanities, law, medicine & health, science & mathematics, and social sciences.


Select New York City History Resources:
New York Historical Society Museum & Library: The New York Historical Society Library has a wealth of materials available on-site and online. Get started with your research using this guide .

NYPL Guide: Researching New York City Neighborhoods: New York City neighborhoods, from their formation to present day, can be researched through the collections of NYPL and other institutions. Useful materials include neighborhood and borough-specific histories, NYC guidebooks, city agency reports, local newspapers, clippings, statistical data, and maps, among many other resources.

NYPL Guide: Early New York: This resource packet is aimed to help teachers use primary source images from NYPL's Digital Gallery as well as texts from NYPL's Databases to teach about Early New York.

NYPL Guide: How to Find Historic Photos of New York City: A guide to locating historic images of New York City.


abases to teach about Early New York.

NYPL Guide: How to Find Historic Photos of New York City: A guide to locating historic images of New York City.The Queens Museum and Museum of the City of New York 1939-1940 and 1964-1965 New York World’s Fairs Collection: The collections include books, pamphlets, printed ephemera, architectural drawings, original artwork, film and audio recordings, photographs, architectural models, textiles, and souvenirs. The varied formats and subjects of the materials provide a uniquely holistic perspective on the New York World’s Fairs and the events surrounding them that shaped the physical and cultural landscape of the city, even as their impact was felt around the globe.


Catalogs and Other Resources:
OneSearch: OneSearch combines many initial searches into one interface: it includes print books from all CUNY libraries; Graduate Center ebooks; a massive index of articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; Graduate Center course reserves; dissertations at CUNY and beyond; and unique digital content.

WorldCat Discovery: WorldCat Discovery is a catalog and discovery system containing millions of records for print and electronic holdings in thousands of libraries around the world.


<b>Introductory Resources</b>: Not sure where to start? Need help getting up to speed? These are a few resources that might come in handy::
Gale Ebooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library): Full text of over 1,800 reference works published by Gale, Brill Academic, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, Greenwood, Sage, Salem Press, Wiley, and others. Titles include American Civil War Reference Library, Ancient Europe, 8000 BC to AD 1000, Encyclopedia of Aging, Encyclopedia of American Religions, Encyclopedia of Case Study Research, Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, Encyclopedia of Urban Studies, Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, Magill's Survey of World Literature, Vietnam War Reference Library; World Education Encyclopedia.


America, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, Magill's Survey of World Literature, Vietnam War Reference Library; World Education Encyclopedia.Very Short Introductions: (Log in with your NYPL credentials) The full text of the entire catalog of Oxford University Press's Very Short Introductions series. The books in this platform offer concise overviews to a range of academic  subjects in the arts & humanities, law, medicine & health, science & mathematics, and social sciences.

SAGE Research Methods: An online collection of more than 1,000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos on how to design and carry out research projects. Browse by discipline or search for a particular research approach (i.e., qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic) and see descriptions and examples from books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, journals, and videos. Read more in our GC Library blog post about Sage Research Methods .


Borrowing Beyond the Grad Center:
If the Graduate Center does not have the book you need you can have it sent here from another library or visit many of the research and art libraries in New York City.

CUNY CLICS: You can have books from other CUNY libraries sent to the Graduate Center. From the library catalog, click the 'Request' link. CLICS can only be used for books. If you need photocopies of an article or book chapter submit an interlibrary loan request.

Interlibrary Loan: Submit an interlibrary loan request for books, book chapters, journal articles and more! If you have questions or need help placing your request, email ill@gc.cuny.edu.


Visiting Other Libraries:
Other CUNY Libraries: All CUNY students and faculty have access to all CUNY libraries and may check out books at all but CUNY Law.  Reference books, special collections, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources may be used only within these libraries.

Metro Referral Cards: Ask at the reference desk on the second floor of the Graduate Center library for one-time-only passes to New York City area libraries, beyond CUNY. If items are available at a CUNY library, you would use CLICs (Inter-library borrowing) or visit that library in person; Metro Cards are used for one-time to access beyond CUNY's collections. For longer access, see MaRLI above.

MaRLI (Manhattan Research Library Initiative): This research initiative allows selected researchers access and circulation privileges at Columbia University, New York University, and New York Public Library's research libraries.


Archival Collections:
There are scores of archival collections within 2 hours of NYC, a few of the major sources are listed below. Detailed guides to archival holdings (finding aids) are frequently being made available online. While most archival collections require a visit to the holding library, some collections do fill photocopy requests.

ArchiveGrid: Information about primary source material, including historical documents and personal papers, held in archives, special collections, and manuscript collections around the world. Also helps researchers contact archives to request information, arrange a visit, and order copies.

Archives Directory for the History of Collecting: Developed by the Frick Collection Center for the History of Collecting, this resource allows researchers to locate primary source material about American collectors, dealers, agents and advisors, and the repositories that hold these records.


s researchers to locate primary source material about American collectors, dealers, agents and advisors, and the repositories that hold these records.Brooklyn Museum Archives: The Museum Archives contains institutional records, curatorial correspondence, expedition reports, and other related textual and visual records dating to the founding of the institution.

Fales Library NYU: Open by appointment, the Fales Library has extensive archival and special collections documenting NYC specific artistic activities and beyond. Finding aids available online.

Medici Archive Project: Search 200 volumes of of documents in the Medici Granducal Archive. The volumes contain 10,00 letters and biographic records for 11,000 people. People can be searched by role (actors, architects, painters, etc.)

MoMA Archive: Search finding aids online. The archive includes museum records and curator correspondence as well as oral histories and papers of artists, collectors, and galleries.

NYC Municipal Archives: Over 87,000 images from the New York City Municipal Archives


oral histories and papers of artists, collectors, and galleries.

NYC Municipal Archives: Over 87,000 images from the New York City Municipal ArchivesNYPL Special Collections: In addition to the Manuscript & Archives Division there are numerous special collections that also contain primary source materials.


Citation Guides:
APA Style Guide: From Purdue OWL (online writing lab). Full APA guide not available online but this site answers basic questions.

Chicago Manual of Style Online: Full text of the 17th and 18th editions of the Chicago Manual of Style, including quick guide, questions and answers, and additional tools.

MLA Style FAQ: MLA does not make its complete style guide available to institutions, but this brief guide is useful.

MLA Style Guide: From Purdue OWL. Full MLA guide not available online but this site answers basic questions.


Citation Managers:
Citation managers allow you to save and organize references and citations you gather during research. You can import citations from databases such as Academic Search Complete or JSTOR or manually enter citations. You can attach PDFs and images to the citations as well. The citation managers also generate bibliographies and footnotes. There are two main citation managers supported by the Graduate Center: RefWorks, and Zotero. Links and descriptions are below. If you want to have an introduction to any or all of the citation managers, make an appointment with your librarian .

Zotero: Saves and helps you to organize citations to articles, books, webpages, and more. Works with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. Install the Zotero Word plug-in to quickly create bibliographies and add citations to papers.

Zotero Help: Short video tutorials and a user guide


ri. Install the Zotero Word plug-in to quickly create bibliographies and add citations to papers.

Zotero Help: Short video tutorials and a user guideRefworks: Online citation management licensed for all CUNY campuses. Generate footnotes and bibliography in any writing style; organize citations and notes in your private library. 25 MB limit on individual file size; 5 GB individual account limit. Group Code: RWGradC There is a new interface available for RefWorks; see the library guide Citation Managers & Style Guides for more information.


American Studies Research Guide:
This guide collects resources from the Graduate Center's Mina Rees Library collections and beyond that support American studies research topics. Use the links on the side of the page to navigate between different formats and tools. For more help, make a research appointment with Alycia Sellie, librarian for American Studies. Schedule an Appointment


General Library Resources:
Graduate Center Library Website: Starting point for finding books, articles, journals, databases, interlibrary loan, electronic reference, and more

OneSearch: OneSearch combines many initial searches into one interface: it includes print books from all CUNY libraries; Graduate Center ebooks; a massive index of articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; Graduate Center course reserves; dissertations at CUNY and beyond; and unique digital content.

Interlibrary Loan: Need an article from a journal not at the Graduate Center? Need a book that not available from any CUNY library? Go here to submit an interlibrary loan request.

24/7 E-mail and Chat Reference: Use this service to ask questions at any time. Email questions will be answered by Graduate Center librarians. Chat questions may be answered by librarians at other institutions.


E-Research Basics:
Our E-Research Basics guide acquaints you with the basics of doing online research through the Mina Rees Library. You'll find information about logging in for remote access, deciding on and searching within a database, locating specific articles and doing broad exploratory searches, determining whether the GC has access to a particular journal, and more.


Library Workshops:
Check the library calendar for upcoming workshops about library research and scholarly publishing.


Find Articles: Links to databases that index art journals.


Looking for a Specific Journal?:
Looking for a specific journal? Search by journal title to check availability across our subscriptions. Place an Interlibrary Loan request if you need access beyond what is immediately available.


American Studies Databases:
Accessible Archives: Full-text access to 18th and 19th century American newspapers, magazines, books, and other publications. Collections include African American newspapers, Civil War publications, anti-slavery periodicals, early women’s magazines, a collection of women’s suffrage periodicals, and publications by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and more. Over 170 books and more than 70 journals are included.


tions by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and more. Over 170 books and more than 70 journals are included.African American Newspapers, Series 1, 1827-1998, via NYPL: Please log in using your New York Public Library credentials! Online access to 280 U.S. newspapers from 35 states chronicling 150 years of African American history. Coverage includes life in the Antebellum South, the Jim Crow Era, the Great Migration, Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, and more. This resource was created from the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Kansas State Historical Society, and the Library of Congress, with selections guided by James Danky, editor of African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography .  Danky's Bibliography is also available in the Internet Archive .


ky, editor of African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography .  Danky's Bibliography is also available in the Internet Archive .African American Periodicals, 1825-1995: Searchable full-text and page images of over 170 periodicals published in 26 states by and about African Americans. Includes academic and political journals, commercial magazines, institutional newsletters, organizations' bulletins, and annual reports.  Covers the Slavery and Antebellum Era (1825-1860), U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), Reconstruction and Post War South (1866-1895), Segregation and the Rise of Black Protest Thought (1896-1920), African American Culture in the New Era (1921-1945), Civil Rights Era (1946-1960), The Second Reconstruction (1961-1972), and the Modern/Contemporary Era (1973-1998).


Culture in the New Era (1921-1945), Civil Rights Era (1946-1960), The Second Reconstruction (1961-1972), and the Modern/Contemporary Era (1973-1998).Alternative Press Index: The API indexes over 300 alternative, radical, and left periodicals, newspapers, and magazines from 1991 to the present. International and interdisciplinary in scope, the API spans the social sciences and humanities with a focus on the practice and theory of socialism, national liberation, labor, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ issues, feminism, ecology, democracy, and anarchism.

America's Historical Imprints: Search full-text early American books, pamphlets, broadsides, government documents and rare printed materials. A combined search interface to several historical databases: American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I, 1749-1900 Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800 Early American Imprints, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819 Also includes supplements from the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian Society


Imprints, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819 Also includes supplements from the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian SocietyAmerica's Historical Newspapers: Searchable digital facsimiles of thousands of U.S. newspapers published in all 50 states from 1690 to the recent past.  Separately searchable series include Early American Newspapers, 1690-1922; African American Newspapers, 1827-1998; Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980; Ethnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971; and Caribbean Newspapers, 1718-1876. Also see the World Newspaper Archive

America: History & Life: Abstracts of articles covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. The database indexes 1,700 journals from 1964 to present and includes citations and links to book and media reviews.


, from prehistory to the present. The database indexes 1,700 journals from 1964 to present and includes citations and links to book and media reviews.American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collections: A collection of over 7500 digitized American periodicals published from the 17th century through the late 19th century.  The Graduate Center subscribes to the five series which cover all aspects of American society, including science, medicine, literature, politics, the history of slavery, the Civil War, Westward expansion, industry and professions, agriculture, religion, fashion, family life, culture and the arts, and more.

American History in Video: Over 70,000 titles of streaming video content, more than half of which is contemporary video from the 1890s to the 1980s. Includes documentaries, interviews, feature films, performances, demonstrations, news programs and newsreels that span a wide range of subjects, including anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history, music, and more.


news programs and newsreels that span a wide range of subjects, including anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history, music, and more.Arts Premium Collection: Encompasses thousands of journal titles in Art, Design, Architecture, Humanities, Film/Screen Studies, Music, Performing Arts, and more. With international coverage, and access to the definitive indexes in these fields. Coverage spans 1864 to the present.  Click "more" to see the full list of databases included in this collection.

Search Arts Premium as a whole or via individual databases in the following collections: Art, Design & Architecture Collection ARTbibliographies Modern (ABM) Arts & Humanities Database Design & Applied Arts Index (DAAI) International Bibliography of Art (IBA) Music & Performing Arts Collection Music Periodicals Database Performing Arts Periodicals Database Screen Studies Collection AFI Catalog FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals Database Film Index International


forming Arts Periodicals Database Screen Studies Collection AFI Catalog FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals Database Film Index InternationalBlack Thought and Culture: African Americans from Colonial Times to the Present: Over 100,000 pages of monographs, essays, speeches, letters, political leaflets, periodicals, trial transcripts, and interviews by major American Black teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other leaders, covering over 250 years of history. Writers include James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Ralph Bunche, Angela Davis, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, Marcus Garvey, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, Huey Newton, Jackie Robinson, Paul Robeson, Bobby Seale, Booker T. Washington, Cornel West, Richard Wright, and many others. Search across the collection or browse by person, subject, title, historical event, content type, place, or publisher.


ichard Wright, and many others. Search across the collection or browse by person, subject, title, historical event, content type, place, or publisher.Early American Imprints, Series I, Evans, 1639-1800: A digitized collection of 38,000 printed works comprising virtually every book, pamphlet, and broadside published in America from 1639 to 1800.  Based Charles Evans’ American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of all Books, Pamphlets, and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America from the Genesis of Printing in 1639 Down to and Including the Year 1800 and Roger Bristol's critical supplement, this resource contains a wide variety of publication types, including advertisements, almanacs, cookbooks, diaries, novels, speeches, travel literature and many others and covers hundreds of topics touching on history, literature, culture, politics, government, and society. The database also includes an additional 1,200 titles, supplied by the American Antiquarian Society, that were not included in the microfiche collection.


database also includes an additional 1,200 titles, supplied by the American Antiquarian Society, that were not included in the microfiche collection. database also includes an additional 1,200 titles, supplied by the American Antiquarian Society, that were not included in the microfiche collection. database also includes an additional 1,200 titles, supplied by the American Antiquarian Society, that were not included in the microfiche collection.To access this collection as well as supplements from Series I and II from the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian Society, search: America's Historical Imprints .


upplements from Series I and II from the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian Society, search: America's Historical Imprints .Early American Imprints, Series II, Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819: A digital collection of more than 37,000 printed works based on the bibliography by Ralph R. Shaw and Richard H. Shoemaker. Includes a wide variety of genres published in America from 1801 to 1819, including 3,600 documents not included in the original microform set. Subjects covered include economics and trade, government, health, historic events, labor, languages, law and crime, literature, military, peoples, philosophy, politics, religion, science and technology, society, manners and customs, and theology. To access this collection as well as supplements from Series I and II from the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian Society, search: America's Historical Imprints


supplements from Series I and II from the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian Society, search: America's Historical ImprintsEthnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971: More than 130 fully searchable newspapers in 10 languages from 25 states, including many rare 19th-century titles. This online collection provides extensive coverage of many of the most influential ethnic groups in the U.S. and their contributions to the nation’s history, politics, and culture.

Ethnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971: More than 130 fully searchable newspapers in 10 languages from 25 states, including many rare 19th-century titles. This online collection provides extensive coverage of many of the most influential ethnic groups in the U.S. and their contributions to the nation’s history, politics, and culture.


s extensive coverage of many of the most influential ethnic groups in the U.S. and their contributions to the nation’s history, politics, and culture.Ethnic NewsWatch (and Ethnic NewsWatch: A History): This resource contains full-text of over 500 newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press. Includes Ethnic NewsWatch , which covers 1990 to the present, and Ethnic NewsWatch: A History , which includes materials dating back to 1959 and provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989. Publications are in a wide variety of languages including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Creole, Inuktitut, Russian, Hindi, Japanese, Arabic, and others.

European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750: A comprehensive bibliographic database containing more than 32,000 entries for printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750.  Based on the authoritative bibliography European Americana: A Chronological Guide to Works Printed in Europe Relating to the Americas, 1493-1750 .


0.  Based on the authoritative bibliography European Americana: A Chronological Guide to Works Printed in Europe Relating to the Americas, 1493-1750 .HAPI: Hispanic American Periodicals Index: HAPI indexes 400+ journals and includes the contents of 700+ journals published around the world on Latin America and the Caribbean since 1967. Includes over 335,000 citations and more than 170,000 links to full text articles covering political, economic and social issues along with the arts and humanities. Search using English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980: Includes over 350 fully searchable and browsable Spanish-language newspapers published by Hispanics in the U.S. from New Orleans to Brooklyn during the 19th and 20th centuries. The papers cover nearly every major theme of American life and feature a range of voices from intellectuals and literary figures to politicians, union organizers, and grassroots activists.


eme of American life and feature a range of voices from intellectuals and literary figures to politicians, union organizers, and grassroots activists.Humanities Source: Over 1,500 full-text journals dating back to 1907.  Includes millions of records covering archaeology, art, communications, dance, film, folklore, history, journalism, linguistics, literary and social criticism, classical studies, area studies and gender studies. Should be included in any humanities search.

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism: More than 300 entries on critics, theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods from Plato and Aristotle to the present. Updated annually.


, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods from Plato and Aristotle to the present. Updated annually.JSTOR: A digital library containing journals, books, images, and primary sources. The GC’s subscription includes JSTOR’s Arts and Sciences I-XII collections of scholarly journals across the social sciences and humanities. Coverage begins with the first issue of almost every journal and continues through varying periods within the last five years. Also included are more than 700 freely accessible collections of illustrations, letters, literary documents, newspapers, magazines, photographs, postcards, and yearbooks; open access alternative press publications from the latter half of the 20th century; and thousands of research reports. 3+ million images in Artstor are also now discoverable in JSTOR. Browse content by subject, title, or collection, or search across the full resource. Register for a free personal account to save materials and organize your work.


t by subject, title, or collection, or search across the full resource. Register for a free personal account to save materials and organize your work.Left Index: Guide to the literature of the left, with an emphasis on political, economic, social and culturally engaged scholarship inside and outside academia. Topics covered include art and aesthetics, ecology and environment, education, history, the labor movement, law and globalization, philosophy, race and ethnicity, social and cultural theory, and sociology. Includes more than 507,000 citations and abstracts (with some full text) and spans from 1982 and earlier to present.

LGBTQ+ Source: Full text from over 150 LGBTQi (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Intersex) journals, magazines, and newspapers and over 150 books. The database includes comprehensive indexing and abstract coverage as well as a specialized LGBTQ+ Thesaurus containing over 10,000 terms.


150 books. The database includes comprehensive indexing and abstract coverage as well as a specialized LGBTQ+ Thesaurus containing over 10,000 terms.Manuscript Women's Letters and Diaries: Over 102,000 pages of personal writings by American women of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries drawn from the holdings of the American Antiquarian Society. The manuscripts date from 1750 to 1950 and include letters and diary entries of ordinary women that document their daily lives, and those of more well-known women such as Annie Sullivan, the teacher of Helen Keller; Ellen Tucker Emerson, daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who describes life in Concord during the Civil War; and Abby Kelley Foster, an abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights.


r of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who describes life in Concord during the Civil War; and Abby Kelley Foster, an abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights.Project Muse: The CUNY and Graduate Center subscriptions provide access to the full text of nearly 400 journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences along with over 70,000 e-books and 4,600 open access books.  Select “Browse All Muse” and filter by Access type “Only content I have access to” to see subscribed and OA content. Or look for the green check mark and OA icons that appear next to accessible titles when searching across the platform. E-books are also available via the separate link to Project Muse E-Books .


s that appear next to accessible titles when searching across the platform. E-books are also available via the separate link to Project Muse E-Books .Sabin Americana, 1500-1926: An online collection based on Joseph Sabin’s famed bibliography, Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America From its Discovery to the Present Time .  Contains 65,000 books, pamphlets, newspapers, political tracts, sermons, maps, legislation, and literature about the Americas, from the time of their discovery to the early 1900s. Sabin features original accounts of discovery and exploration, pioneering and westward expansion, the U.S. Civil War and other military actions, Native Americans, slavery and abolition, politics, culture, contemporary opinions, religious history, and more. Covers North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean.


ery and abolition, politics, culture, contemporary opinions, religious history, and more. Covers North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean.Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive: Consists of more than five million pages of books, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, legal documents, court records, monographs, manuscripts, and maps from the collections of more than 60 libraries in the U.S. and U.K.  The database is arranged in four parts:  Debates over Slavery and Abolition; Slave Trade in the Atlantic World; The Institution of Slavery; and the Age of Emancipation.  Search across the full resource or explore the 71 separate collections of personal papers, organizational records, court cases, deposit ledgers, U.S. and international government documents, and more.  Research tools include a global chronology and 18 subject bibliographies.


es, deposit ledgers, U.S. and international government documents, and more.  Research tools include a global chronology and 18 subject bibliographies.Social Theory: More than 150,000 pages of content by such major theorists as Theodor Adorno, Jean Baudrillard, Simone de Beauvoir, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Émile Durkheim, Michel Foucault, Jürgen Habermas, Karl Marx, Robert Merton, Dorothy E. Smith, and Talcott Parsons. Search across the resource or browse authors, titles, theories, or subjects.

Women and Social Movements, International - 1840 to Present: This digital archive includes 150,000 pages of conference proceedings, reports of international women's organizations, publications and web pages of women's non-governmental organizations, and letters, diaries, and memoirs of women active internationally since the mid-nineteenth century.  It also includes photographs and videos of major events and activists in the history of women’s international social movements as well as scholarly essays exploring themes illuminated by materials in the archive.


tivists in the history of women’s international social movements as well as scholarly essays exploring themes illuminated by materials in the archive.Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000: The collection currently includes 124 document projects and archives with more than 5,100 documents and 175,000 pages of additional full-text items. It also includes book, film, and website reviews, notes from the archives, teaching tools, and reference works.

Academic OneFile: Provides full-text articles in all subject areas from over 19,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources as well as thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR (National Public Radio) and CNN, and videos from BBC Worldwide Learning.  Subjects covered include biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.


ubjects covered include biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.Academic Search Complete: A multi-disciplinary database with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals.  In addition to full text, the database includes indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 journals and more than 13,200 publications, such as monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.  While full text is available as far back as 1887 for a few titles, the text of most titles is available only for the past decade or two.


edings, etc.  While full text is available as far back as 1887 for a few titles, the text of most titles is available only for the past decade or two.Art Full Text: Full-text articles from more than 300 periodicals dating back to 1995; indexing and abstracting of 600 periodicals dating back to 1984; and indexing and abstracting of more than 13,000 art dissertations. Covers art history and criticism, architecture and architectural history, archaeology, antiques, museum studies, graphic arts, industrial design, landscape architecture, interior design, styles and art movements, folk art, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, decorative arts, costume design, film, television and video, advertising art, non-western art, textiles and more.


ng, photography, pottery, sculpture, decorative arts, costume design, film, television and video, advertising art, non-western art, textiles and more.Gale Literature: Gale Literature searches multiple databases at once, combining Gale Literature Resource Center (biographies, overviews, criticism, audio interviews, and reviews), Gale LitFinder (full text poems, plays, short stories, and speeches from all eras), and Gale eBooks (reference sources). It also includes the Gale Literary Index covering 165,000 authors and 215,000 works, and workflow tools to analyze information.


s (reference sources). It also includes the Gale Literary Index covering 165,000 authors and 215,000 works, and workflow tools to analyze information.Gale Primary Sources (formerly Artemis Primary Sources): Gale Primary Sources searches across 11 collections at once. It includes Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century; British Library Newspapers; Eighteenth Century Collections Online; Nineteenth Century Collections Online; Sabin Americana: History of the Americas, 1500-1926; Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Burney Newspapers Collection; Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive; The Economist Historical Archive; The Making of the Modern World; The Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive; U.S. Declassified Documents Online; and Women's Studies Archive.

Communication & Mass Media Complete: Includes the full text of over 450 journals in communications and media, as well as indexing and abstracts for more than 770 titles. Useful for a wide range of topics in the humanities and social sciences.


ations and media, as well as indexing and abstracts for more than 770 titles. Useful for a wide range of topics in the humanities and social sciences.Readers' Guide Full Text Mega: Includes indexing of over 450 periodicals from 1983 to the present and searchable full text of articles from over 250 popular general-interest periodicals from 1994 to the present. PDF page images of full-text articles provide access to illustrations, photographs and other graphical content.

Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982: Provides indexing of over three million articles from more than 550 popular general-interest periodicals from 1890-1982, including full coverage of the original print volumes of Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature .

World Newspaper Archive, 1800-1922: World Newspaper Archive includes historical newspapers published in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States, created in partnership with the Center for Research Libraries.


All Graduate Center Databases:
The databases you see on this page are just a small subset of all of the databases (collections of resources) available to you through the Graduate Center Library. See the full A-Z list to see all databases from every discipline.


Suggest New Materials for the Graduate Center:
The library welcomes suggestions for new books and other materials. Need It Soon? Purchasing and processing new materials takes weeks. If you need an item quickly, request it via Interlibrary Loan . Faculty: To request materials for a GC course you're teaching, use the Reserve Request Form .


Catalogs and Other Resources:
OneSearch: OneSearch combines many initial searches into one interface: it includes print books from all CUNY libraries; Graduate Center ebooks; a massive index of articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; Graduate Center course reserves; dissertations at CUNY and beyond; and unique digital content.

WorldCat Discovery: WorldCat Discovery is a catalog and discovery system containing millions of records for print and electronic holdings in thousands of libraries around the world.


Borrowing Beyond the Grad Center:
If the Graduate Center does not have the book you need you can have it sent here from another library or visit many of the research and art libraries in New York City.

CUNY CLICS: You can have books from other CUNY libraries sent to the Graduate Center. From the library catalog, click the 'Request' link. CLICS can only be used for books. If you need photocopies of an article or book chapter submit an interlibrary loan request.

Interlibrary Loan: Submit an interlibrary loan request for books, book chapters, journal articles and more! If you have questions or need help placing your request, email ill@gc.cuny.edu.


Visiting Other Libraries:
Other CUNY Libraries: All CUNY students and faculty have access to all CUNY libraries and may check out books at all but CUNY Law.  Reference books, special collections, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources may be used only within these libraries.

Metro Referral Cards: Ask at the reference desk on the second floor of the Graduate Center library for one-time-only passes to New York City area libraries, beyond CUNY. If items are available at a CUNY library, you would use CLICs (Inter-library borrowing) or visit that library in person; Metro Cards are used for one-time to access beyond CUNY's collections. For longer access, see MaRLI above.

MaRLI (Manhattan Research Library Initiative): This research initiative allows selected researchers access and circulation privileges at Columbia University, New York University, and New York Public Library's research libraries.


Primary Source Resources Outside CUNY:
Archive Grid: Searchable database containing over 7 million records describing archival collections in 1,400 libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies around the world.  Also useful for identifying archival repositories by location. Read more in our GC Library blog post about ArchiveGrid .

British Library: One of world's largest collections of primary documents.

Fales Library NYU: Open by appointment, the Fales Library has extensive archival and special collections.  Finding aids are available online.

Folger Shakespeare Library: World's largest collection of Shakespeare materials and other resources related to the Renaissance.

Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas: Large collection of manuscripts in the humanities.

Library of Congress: One of the world's largest collections of primary and secondary material.


as: Large collection of manuscripts in the humanities.

Library of Congress: One of the world's largest collections of primary and secondary material.The Morgan Library: Materials related to the history, literature, and art of the Western world. Use of the library is by appointment. In addition, an application form must be completed.

NYPL Special Collections: In addition to the Manuscript & Archives Division there are numerous special collections that also contain primary source materials.

Umbra Search African American History: Umbra Search African American History brings together more than 500,000 digitized materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the country. Umbra Search pays homage to the Umbra Society of the early 1960s, a renegade group of Black writers and poets who helped create the Black Arts Movement.


About This Guide:
This guide will introduce you to the basics of archival research. You will find information on: What archives are and how they are arranged Conducting background research Where and how to look for archival collections What to expect when you visit an archival repository Citing and quoting from unpublished materials And more


Recommended Reading:
Following are selected sources for further reading.  Some are cited in this research guide and all are recommended for developing research skills.

Building Archival Research Skills

Archival Arrangement & Terminology

LCSH & Copyright


Getting Help:
There are many ways to get help from a librarian — choose the method that best suits your needs: In Person: Visit the reference desk (2nd floor of library) during reference hours . By Chat: Chat with an academic librarian 24/7 . If available, a CUNY librarian will answer your chat. By Email: Complete the question submission form and receive a reply by email during reference hours . By Phone: Call the reference desk at (212) 817-7077 during reference hours . By Appointment: Schedule a one-on-one research consultation by contacting your subject librarian .


Quick Start Guide for Archival Research:
Download our Quick Start Guide for Archival Research


Dispatches from the Field:
Following are links to a few noteworthy library blogs and websites that provide an introduction to particular collections and a glimpse into what's going on in the world of archives.

"[C]created ... to acknowledge, address, and repair the harms done by white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, ableism, and capitalism (an incomplete list for sure!) and their various intersections in and through records and archives. With this site, we hope to use ideas, activities, and actions to imagine and enact a more just world. "


Archives in the News:
Archives of the East Village Eye Go to the NYPL: Gold, Hannah. “The Archives of the East Village Eye Go to the New York Public Library.” The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2023. www.newyorker.com, https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-archives-of-the-east-village-eye-go-to-the-new-york-public-library.

Activating an Archive of Black Life in Brooklyn: Pratt Faculty and Students Collaborate with the Weeksville Community on an Oral History Project to Shape the Future.

How to Help Librarians and Archivists From Your Living Room: Crowd-sourced DH projects:  "If you’re cooped-up and curious, use your free time to decipher handwriting, tag images, and more."

Archives in The News: See these and other fascinating articles about manuscripts, archives, and collections in our Zotero Library.


Archived Edition:
This Archival Research Guide has been replaced by a new edition and will no longer be updated. Please refer to our new Archival Research Guide for assistance.


The Process:
Each research project is unique.  And research itself is a process that will take you back and forth between primary, secondary, and reference sources, catalogs, databases, and other discovery tools. The arc of a typical research project begins with a general topic of interest from which a research question is developed.  Sources are found to answer the question and results are written up. The basic steps in the archival research process are the following: Develop your research question Define your research needs Conduct background research Think about the kinds of sources you hope to find Search for and identify collections and repositories Read archival finding aids and collection guides Contact repositories Visit repositories and use collections Repeat steps as needed


Best Practices for Archival Research:
Read widely in reference and secondary sources on your topic and the time period you are studying to inform your research in archives. Look closely at the websites of archival repositories to learn about their collections, finding aids, and procedures. Always contact an archival repository before you visit. Keep a running list of the relevant people, organizations, events, places, dates, and themes you discover in your reading and keep a research journal of the catalogs and databases you search and the keywords you use.  A research journal will help you stay organized. Take careful, detailed notes when using unpublished materials. Speak with library staff about your topic to fine-tune your research strategy and learn about related materials. Archival research takes time.  Be sure to plan ahead.


Using Collections:
Also see the Using Collections page in this guide for additional information and tips for making your research go smoothly.


Define Your Research Needs:
Before you start searching for sources, take a moment to think about what you need to accomplish with your research.  Be sure to consider: The scope and complexity of your project Are you writing a short paper or trying to uncover every possible source for your dissertation or book? The amount of time you have to spend Is your project due in two weeks or do you have years to discover all the relevant resources that might exist? The types of background sources you need and where you will find them Only in the library?  Online?  Via interlibrary loan? Which repositories are likely to hold materials for you Local or far flung libraries? Consulting a reference librarian for help planning your strategy You will find out about tools and tricks to make your search for materials more efficient and effective.


Reading About Archival Research:
Following are a few books on archival resources.  Find additional titles in OneSearch with a Subject Search on "Archival Resources": Books on Archival Resources Articles on Archival Resources .

Out of the Closet, into the Archives: The first book to focus on the experience of LGBT archival research.

Archival Strategies and Techniques: Historical and biographical work is becoming a more common type of qualitative research done by social scientists and usually requires the extensive use of formal archives housed in universities, governments, museums and other institutions. This practical and concise book provides an introduction for the novice on conducting archival research and covers such topics as contacting and preparing to work in archives, the protocol of using archives, and ways of organizing and referencing the useful data from the archive.


contacting and preparing to work in archives, the protocol of using archives, and ways of organizing and referencing the useful data from the archive.Archives and New Modes of Feminist Research: In an era when the metaphor of the archive is invoked to cover almost any kind of memory, collection or accumulation, it is important to re-examine what is entailed--politically and methodologically--in the practice of feminist archival research. This question is central not only to the renewed interest many disciplines are showing in empirical research in archives but also given the current explosion of online social and cultural data which has fundamentally transformed what we understand an archive to be. Contributors in this collection are keen to mark out what may be novel and what is enduring in the ways in which feminist thought and feminist practice frame archives. Importantly, they engage with archives in their historical and political complexity rather than treating them as simple repositories of source material.


portantly, they engage with archives in their historical and political complexity rather than treating them as simple repositories of source material.portantly, they engage with archives in their historical and political complexity rather than treating them as simple repositories of source material.portantly, they engage with archives in their historical and political complexity rather than treating them as simple repositories of source material.In this respect, contributors are keenly interested in what it means to archive particular materials, and not simply in what those materials may hold for feminist researchers. The collection features established and emerging feminist scholars and brings together interventions from across such disciplines as history, literature, modernist studies, cinema studies and law.  This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Australian Feminist Studies.


NYPL, Room 100, Including Card Catalogs:
Image:  Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. " Room 100, including card catalogs " The New York Public Library Digital Collections . 1875.


The authors of The Craft of Research devised a three-step formula you can use to develop research question worth answering .  Without a good question, you'll just be gathering data.  Fill in the blanks to focus your efforts and build a research question of significance. 1. Topic: I am studying ______________ 2. Question: because I want to find out what / why / how ____________ 3. Significance: in order to better understand ______________ N.B. Since the research process is rarely linear, you may find that once you arrive in an archival repository and start looking at collections, your research question might change .


is rarely linear, you may find that once you arrive in an archival repository and start looking at collections, your research question might change . is rarely linear, you may find that once you arrive in an archival repository and start looking at collections, your research question might change . is rarely linear, you may find that once you arrive in an archival repository and start looking at collections, your research question might change .Historian and University of Wisconsin professor William Cronon says : "That's because you get a better sense of what sorts of arguments the documents can support, and because manuscript collections are full of weird and wonderful things that insist on being explored.  Make sure you care about the question you go in with enough that you won't immediately abandon it after reading the first document. But don't be afraid to let your question transform itself in dialogue with the documents. Whatever you do, keep track of this thought process on paper. New questions or discarded ones could represent future projects." Learn More: The Importance of a Good Research Question ( Sources : The Craft of Research ; Learning Historical Research, Sources: Manuscripts and Archives )


Using Archives & Terra Cognita:
This handy guide from the Society of American Archivists explains how archives function and details how to find and use archival materials in your research. And this report from CLIR describes the experiences of graduate level researchers in archives around the world.


Finding Research Inspiration in Manuscripts:
If you are having trouble coming up with a research question that interests you, you can always start with the sources. To begin, find a manuscript collection on a broad topic of interest. To do that, choose a special library near you and browse the A-Z list of finding aids on its website.  Select a collection that looks interesting and read the finding aid.  Then, contact the library to make sure the collection is available and visit to look through the materials. Read the documents actively.  Let the manuscripts spark your imagination and inspire questions.  What do the documents mean?  Where do they fit in with the bigger picture?  What more do you want to know about them? Use the manuscripts to help formulate a research question you want to answer.  Then, go back through the research steps, gathering background information and identifying other sources of evidence to answer your question.


Primary Sources are materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation. They can be published or unpublished items in any format (the original or a surrogate format such as a photocopy, a digital copy, a printed edition, or a microfilm edition), from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment. Secondary Sources are works that analyze and interpret other sources. They use primary sources to solve research problems. Primary vs. Secondary - The way you engage with a source determines whether it is a primary or secondary source for your project. Book reviews, for example, are typically considered secondary sources.  If the subject of your research is book reviews themselves, however, they would be primary sources for your project. ( Sources: The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams.


s, however, they would be primary sources for your project. ( Sources: The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams.s, however, they would be primary sources for your project. ( Sources: The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams.s, however, they would be primary sources for your project. ( Sources: The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams.Chicago: University of Chicago Press, c2008; Introduction to Archival Terminology , NARA.)


Types of Primary Sources:


Types of Primary Sources:Types of Primary Sources:Unpublished archival materials are just one type of primary source.  In The Information-Literate Historian , Jenny Presnell describes nine categories of primary sources: Public Records - census records, court records, wills, tax records, etc. Official Records - laws, civil codes, legislative hearings, treaties, etc. Personal Documents (manuscripts) - letters, diaries, oral histories, financial records, etc. Artifacts/Relics - clothing, furniture, tools, music, art, and other items people make and use Organizational Documents (archives) - meeting minutes, financial records, correspondence, etc. Images - photographs, drawings, cartoons, posters, videos, graphics, paintings, etc. Architecture, City Plans, and Maps - buildings, blueprints, plans, models, etc. Media and Other Mass Communication - newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, tv, twitter, facebook, websites, etc. Literary Texts - novels, plays, poems, essays, etc. (Source: The Information Literate Historian , 93-95.)


Historical Newspapers:
Historical newspapers are great primary sources that can help you understand how a subject was viewed and understood at the time. They also fill in the record on people and topics that may not turn up in archival research. Many ideas that are accepted today were considered radical when they were first introduced. You'll find coverage of new or progressive ideas in radical publications before you can read about them in mainstream sources.  And you'll also hear the voices of marginalized people and organizations in the radical, underground, and independent media that are often not included in the mainstream media. So don't forget the alternative press! Conducting Genealogical Research Using Newspapers - NYPL Guide


As you conduct your research you may find that some sources will help answer your research question and others will inspire more questions. Manuscripts and archives are just one piece of the research puzzle, one kind of "document" to consider when gathering evidence.  As you consider your research question, ask yourself: What types of sources might exist? Your research question will help you focus your search.  Studying immigrant populations in 21st century New York City will lead you to investigate an entirely different universe of sources than will research on child labor in 19th century textile mills in New England.


will lead you to investigate an entirely different universe of sources than will research on child labor in 19th century textile mills in New England.will lead you to investigate an entirely different universe of sources than will research on child labor in 19th century textile mills in New England.will lead you to investigate an entirely different universe of sources than will research on child labor in 19th century textile mills in New England.What kind of sources do you hope to find? Different formats fill in the record in unique ways.  Do you want to find personal papers (letters, diaries, documents) or organizational records (correspondence, minutes, publications)?  Contemporary newspaper accounts?  Radical periodicals?  Oral histories?  Photographs or moving images?  Statistics?  Maps?  Government documents?  Scholarly books and articles? Objects?  Printed ephemera?  Works of art? Where might the sources have been produced and by whom? Review the holdings of repositories in the geographical area central to your topic. Chances are, a local library, historical society, research library, municipal archive, or university library in the region will hold archival collections and other materials on the subject.  Schools and private businesses might be likely repositories too.


ary in the region will hold archival collections and other materials on the subject.  Schools and private businesses might be likely repositories too.ary in the region will hold archival collections and other materials on the subject.  Schools and private businesses might be likely repositories too.ary in the region will hold archival collections and other materials on the subject.  Schools and private businesses might be likely repositories too.Could relevant materials be in private collections? Catalogs, databases, and repository websites can only help you find materials held in formal institutions. Don't forget that not all sources -- be they manuscripts, printed items, photographs, etc. -- are in libraries.  The more you know about your topic, the easier it will be to discover privately held materials. Be creative!  Primary sources are everywhere. When searching for sources, think about how your topic fits in with the world at large.  Considering an era in terms of the political climate, economic picture, popular culture, world events, art, music, literature, science, fashion, media, and the natural environment may spark ideas that lead you to investigate research angles that may not have occurred to you otherwise. Image: New York Times


On this Page:
Archives Defined Archival Arrangement Finding Aids Elements of a Finding Aid Tips for Using Finding Aids What Gets Saved and Why? What Ends up in Archival Collections? How Collections End Up in Particular Libraries Archival Terminology


Archival Collection - A broad term encompassing both personal papers and organizational records collections. Archives - Records in any format created by or received and maintained by an organization that are determined to have permanent value. When housed in repositories outside the institution that created them, the collections are often called Organizational Records. Personal Papers or Manuscripts - Collections of materials in any format created by or received and maintained by an individual or family in the course of daily life. Examples include: the Truman Capote Papers (NYPL) and the Shirley Hayes Papers (N-YHS). Artificial Collections - Collections of items assembled by an individual or institution from a variety of sources, usually on a topic or event (the sinking of the Titanic or the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (menus, matchbook covers, postcards, or product advertising, e.g.).


c or the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (menus, matchbook covers, postcards, or product advertising, e.g.).c or the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (menus, matchbook covers, postcards, or product advertising, e.g.).c or the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (menus, matchbook covers, postcards, or product advertising, e.g.).Examples include: The Radio Scripts Collection (NYPL Schomburg) and The World War I Collection (N-YHS). Manuscript Repository - An institution that collects historically valuable records of individuals, families, and organizations. The New-York Historical Society Library and The Manuscripts and Archives Division of the New York Public Library are manuscript repositories. Institutional Repository or Archives - A repository that holds records created by or received by its parent institution. The Municipal Archives of the City of New York , The National Archives of the United States , and the Carnegie Hall Archives are institutional repositories. The archives of some organizations, especially commercial enterprises, exist solely to serve internal needs and outside researchers may have limited or no access to the records. Primary Sources - Materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation.


rds. Primary Sources - Materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation.rds. Primary Sources - Materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation.rds. Primary Sources - Materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation.They can be published or unpublished items in any format, from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment. Secondary Sources - Works that analyze and interpret other sources. They use primary sources to solve research problems. Primary vs. Secondary - The way you engage with a source determines whether it is a primary or secondary source for your project. Book reviews, for example, are typically considered secondary sources.  If the subject of your research is book reviews themselves, however, they would be primary sources for your project. ( Sources: The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, c2008; Introduction to Archival Terminology , NARA.)


Finding Aids:
Archival materials are described in documents called finding aids or collection guides .  These are detailed guides to the contents and arrangement of collections. Finding aids are written to give the repository intellectual and physical control over their holdings and to help researchers find what they are looking for within collections. Finding aids can take many forms and range in detail from a brief summary of a collection to an itemized list of its contents, to a card catalog, but most finding aids will fall somewhere in between. The level of detail and description depend on the resources of the repository and the collection itself.  Not all finding aids are online.


Archival Arrangement:
Archival materials are grouped into collections according to provenance and kept in their original order whenever possible. Provenance , a fundamental archival principle (also called respect des fonds ), requires that materials be grouped into collections according to their source, not according to their subject. Original Order is the arrangement of materials established by the creator of the records. Archivists maintain original order whenever possible because the arrangement can shed light on how an individual or organization functioned and can also simplify access to the materials. When there is no discernible order, archivists sort the materials into series such as correspondence, writings, photographs, clippings, etc., in order to facilitate research and access. ( Source: Theodore R. Schellenberg, Principles of Arrangement, Staff Information Paper Number 18 , Published by the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, 1951.)


Elements of a Finding Aid:


Elements of a Finding Aid:Elements of a Finding Aid:No two archival collections are the same, so no two finding aids will be the same, but most comprehensive electronic finding aids contain the following elements: Descriptive Summary – The basic bibliographical details you would find in a library catalog record, including the repository, creator, title, date, abstract describing the subject matter of the material, quantity of materials, and call phrase (the collection number assigned to the collection by the repository). Biographical / Historical Note – Information on the creator of the collection, including significant historical details that provide context for the archival materials. Scope and Content Note – A brief description of what’s contained in the collection, including the types of materials and the subject focus of the collection, with highlights sometimes mentioned.


of what’s contained in the collection, including the types of materials and the subject focus of the collection, with highlights sometimes mentioned. of what’s contained in the collection, including the types of materials and the subject focus of the collection, with highlights sometimes mentioned. of what’s contained in the collection, including the types of materials and the subject focus of the collection, with highlights sometimes mentioned.Arrangement – A list of the series into which the collection is organized, or a brief description of the organization of the materials, i.e., “The collection is arranged by type of material, then chronologically.” Access Points – The subject headings, including names, organizations, topics, places, document types, family names, occupations, and other terms, under which the collection is indexed. Administrative Information – Provenance of the collection, access and use restrictions, copyright notices, preferred citation, related materials in the repository. Container List – A list of boxes, folders, and volumes in the collection. You’ll need to know the box and folder numbers to request materials at the repository. Finding aids may also include: Series descriptions, a list of items separated from the collection, and notes on related collections in the repository.


The New York Public Library succinctly defines archives as " the records created by people and organizations as they lived and worked ." Archives usually consist of unpublished materials that accumulate organically over the course of time and that are preserved for the enduring value of the information they contain, for their value as artifacts, or as evidence of the work or activities of the creator. Archival collections can range in size from a single item to hundreds of boxes and contain just about anything that was created or saved by a person or organization. No two archival collections are the same.  And no single repository or collection will contain everything on a topic. The unpublished materials in archival collections are usually one-of-a-kind and exist only in the collection where you found them. The unique nature of the materials is what makes them so valuable to researchers and distinguishes them from ordinary library items.


e you found them. The unique nature of the materials is what makes them so valuable to researchers and distinguishes them from ordinary library items.e you found them. The unique nature of the materials is what makes them so valuable to researchers and distinguishes them from ordinary library items.e you found them. The unique nature of the materials is what makes them so valuable to researchers and distinguishes them from ordinary library items.Thousands of libraries may hold copies of particular novel, for example, but only one can hold the original first draft of that work in the author’s hand. The vast majority of the unpublished archival material that exists in libraries, historical societies, and institutional repositories is not available online. You can readily find descriptions of collections on the web, or images from collections on the web and in library databases, but the materials themselves for the most part will be found only in their original format in folders and boxes in archival collections around the world.  See the note on digitized archives on the Published Primary Sources page of this guide.


What Ends Up in Archival Collections?:
Archival collections are unique and idiosyncratic.  They can contain just about anything that was created or saved by a person or organization.  Materials relating to particular individuals, organizations, events and subjects will be scattered among myriad archival collections in multiple repositories. No single repository or collection will contain everything there is on a specific individual, organization, or subject.  Collections contain only what was saved and what has lasted.


How Collections End Up in Particular Libraries:
An institutional affiliation may inspire a person to leave their papers to a particular library. Or the person may have a social or cultural connection with a library. Or perhaps there is a historical society or library located near them with which they have an affiliation. A library's existing collection strengths frequently inspire people to donate materials on similar topics. A library's ability to process and make collections available to researchers may also be a factor as well. Government documents and organizational records are usually saved and transferred to their respective archives according to established record retension schedules in the regular course of business.


Tips for Using Finding Aids:


Tips for Using Finding Aids:Tips for Using Finding Aids:Many manuscript and archival repositories have online catalogs or databases that allow searching across collection finding aids. Look for these and search them for sources on your topic. Collections may be described in catalog records, website descriptions, NUCMC records, published collection guides, and/or Wikipedia entries in addition to or instead of traditional finding aids. Not all collections will have detailed finding aids, but when they do, always spend time reading them thoroughly before diving in to a collection. Access may be uneven within a library, with some collections being fully processed and described in electronic finding aids complete with links to digitized images, audio, or video from the collection, while other collections next to them on the shelf may be described only in paper finding aids.  Collection descriptions are continually evolving as resources permit.


lections next to them on the shelf may be described only in paper finding aids.  Collection descriptions are continually evolving as resources permit.lections next to them on the shelf may be described only in paper finding aids.  Collection descriptions are continually evolving as resources permit.lections next to them on the shelf may be described only in paper finding aids.  Collection descriptions are continually evolving as resources permit.A close look at a finding aid will tell you not only what is IN a collection, but what is NOT there, saving you time. When viewing electronic finding aids, look for the "print view" or a link to "view as a single page" so you can do keyword searching within the document. Archivists research the subjects of the collections they process and frequently write detailed historical and biographical notes that contextualize the materials. You can learn a great deal by reading a comprehensive finding aid. A container list in a finding aid will tell you the type of material you’ll find in a box or folder, but it usually won’t give you the specific details of the items in that container. A typical folder title might be “Correspondence, 1911-1914.”  When this is the case, the only way to find out who is writing to whom and what is being said is to request the box and open the folder to read the letters yourself. Not all collections have finding aids and not all finding aids are online.


aid is to request the box and open the folder to read the letters yourself. Not all collections have finding aids and not all finding aids are online.aid is to request the box and open the folder to read the letters yourself. Not all collections have finding aids and not all finding aids are online.aid is to request the box and open the folder to read the letters yourself. Not all collections have finding aids and not all finding aids are online.Visit a repository’s website to get an overview of the archival holdings and then contact the staff to find out if they might hold materials relevant to your topic. As a way of dealing with backlogs of unprocessed collections, many archival repositories have begun in recent years to follow an arrangement and description methodology called MPLP, or " More Product, Less Process ," especially for large contemporary collections.  This trend in processing means that archivists spend less time arranging and describing materials in order to provide access to more materials sooner.  For researchers, this means they may have to spend more time looking through boxes of materials because collections may only be described in broad strokes in finding aids that mention just the most obvious contents and contain little research and scholarship.


What Gets Saved and Why?:


What Gets Saved and Why?:What Gets Saved and Why?:In his book, Archival Strategies and Techniques , Michael R. Hill writes about the nearly random ways documents end up in archival collections.  In a chapter titled " Archival Sedimentation , " he says: "Through the processes of primary ["people and organizations create, discard, save, collect, and donate materials of potential archival interest"], secondary ["people with a wide variety of motives make consequential decisions about what to do with the deceased's papers"], and tertiary sedimentation ["sorting, erosion [i.e., fires, floods, and other disasters], and arrangement of materials after arrival at an archive"], materials come to rest in boxes and file folders, on shelves and in vaults behind the locked doors of archival repositories. These materials are archival sediment [emphasis added], residual traces of human activity.


in vaults behind the locked doors of archival repositories. These materials are archival sediment [emphasis added], residual traces of human activity.in vaults behind the locked doors of archival repositories. These materials are archival sediment [emphasis added], residual traces of human activity.in vaults behind the locked doors of archival repositories. These materials are archival sediment [emphasis added], residual traces of human activity.They are selective traces, however, filtered by the combined imprint of personal machinations and idiosyncrasies, family sensibilities, professional envy and collegial admiration, organizational mandates, bureaucratic decisions, archival traditions, social structure, power, wealth, and institutional inertia. From such traces, we seek data from which to make sense of individuals, organizations, social movements, and sociohistorical settings. (Source:  "Archival Sedimentation" in Archival Strategies and Techniques by Michael R. Hill).


Special libraries and archival repositories come in every shape and size.  They can be divided into the following broad categories: Research Libraries These include large public libraries like the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library, special collections in colleges and universities, and historical societies and museums. Government Archives There are government archives at the national, state, county, and municipal level.  Individual government agencies may also maintain archives of their own records.  These entities may have their own search engines and discovery tools that do not overlap with databases such as ArchiveGrid or WorldCat. Community Archives Often organized and run by volunteers.  Community archives have open access policies and welcome researchers to explore and use holdings with few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives .


welcome researchers to explore and use holdings with few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives . welcome researchers to explore and use holdings with few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives . welcome researchers to explore and use holdings with few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives .Local Museums, Historical Societies, Libraries, & Archives Small-scale local repositories often have wonderfully rich collections and highly knowledgeable staff.  Look for repositories in the geographical vicinity of your subject to find sources in a range of formats. Institutional Archives The records held by companies and organizations documenting their own operations and histories.  These may or may not be open to outside researchers.  Permission is usually required for access. Private Collections Personal papers held by individuals and families.  These may be processed or unprocessed materials and access may be strictly controlled.  Contact the administrators directly to inquire about using the collections.  Be sure you understand and can agree to any restrictions before undertaking research.


Before Visiting an Archival Repository:


Before Visiting an Archival Repository:Before Visiting an Archival Repository:1. Explore secondary sources and published primary sources. A thorough understanding of your subject will help enormously as you look through archival folders and boxes. Without knowing what to look for, you may miss important documents or waste time trying to decipher unrelated materials. 2. Read finding aids in their entirety. Every section of a finding aid, from the administrative information to the container list, will inform you of essential details. The biographical and historical notes will be particularly useful for putting the materials in context, and the scope and content note will let you know whether or not the collection contains material relevant for you. But the entire finding aid should be essential reading. 3. Closely review the repository's website. In addition to the basics such as the hours of operation and street address, repository websites often contain a wealth of information that will help you make the most of your visit.


s the hours of operation and street address, repository websites often contain a wealth of information that will help you make the most of your visit.s the hours of operation and street address, repository websites often contain a wealth of information that will help you make the most of your visit.s the hours of operation and street address, repository websites often contain a wealth of information that will help you make the most of your visit.You may learn about reading room protocols, advance registration requirements, reproduction policies, and whether laptops and personal cameras are permitted, among other details. 4. Contact the staff by email or phone. This step is essential. Always contact the library staff to let them know which collections you would like to use and when you plan to visit. The collections you need might be stored offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. In some repositories, appointments are required. Permission might be necessary before you can use certain materials. The reference staff at the library can also help you discover other materials that are related to your topic and provide answers to logistical questions that are not answered on the website.


A History of Archives in NYC:
"archives. The history of archives in New York City mirrors the broader development of archival management in the United States..." Read the full article in the Encyclopedia of NYC (2nd ed) (login required).


Selected NYC Archives & Special Collections:
Following are links to the websites of selected research libraries in and around New York City where you can find manuscripts, archives, and other primary sources.  Rules and regulations vary by institution, so always review the website and contact the staff before visiting. Look for "using the collections" or "visiting the library" pages for important details.

American Craft Council Library & Archives: Holdings include four major archival collections documenting the history of contemporary craft.

Berg Collection, NYPL: Holdings include "35,000 printed volumes, pamphlets, and broadsides, and 2,000 linear feet of literary archives and manuscripts, representing the work of more than 400 authors."


inted volumes, pamphlets, and broadsides, and 2,000 linear feet of literary archives and manuscripts, representing the work of more than 400 authors."Bronx County Historical Society: "The Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation, documentation and interpretation of the history and heritage of The Bronx and its people." from	its	earliest	historical	references in	the	17th	century	to	the	present.	"

LGBT Community Center National History Archive: A community-based archive that collects, preserves, and makes available to the public the documentation of LGBTQ lives and organizations centered in and around New York.

Milstein Division of U.S., Local History, and Genealogy - NYPL: The Division "collects publications documenting American history on the national, state, and local levels, including extensive holdings on New York City history. The Division has a renowned collection of family histories and other genealogical collections, with a particular focus on the New York region."


story. The Division has a renowned collection of family histories and other genealogical collections, with a particular focus on the New York region."New-York Historical Society Library: "One of only 20 in the United States qualified to be a member of the Independent Research Libraries Association—the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library contains more than three million books, pamphlets, maps, atlases, newspapers, broadsides, music sheets, manuscripts, prints, photographs and architectural drawings."

New York Public Library Manuscripts & Archives Division: "The NYPL holds nearly 10,000 archival and manuscript collections comprising over 50,000 linear feet of material in nearly every format imaginable."


Subject-Specific Archives Directories:
Directory of Anthropological Archives by Institution: A listing from the Council for the Preservation of Anthropological Records.

Frick Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America: A tool "created to help researchers locate primary source material about American art collectors, dealers, agents and advisors, and the repositories that hold these records."

Women's Archives Directory: http://www.luc.edu/wla/wla_donordirectory.shtml A directory "established to "map" archival repositories with collections relating to women. It provides potential donors and researchers with information about repositories that collect women's history. Best of all, it is national in scope and key-word searchable."


onors and researchers with information about repositories that collect women's history. Best of all, it is national in scope and key-word searchable."Regional Archives Directories: Find archives and archival repositories by country, state, region or subject with a Google search.  For instance, try searching (without the quotes) "archives directory Canada," "archives directory Great Britain," or "archives directory New Orleans."


New York Public Library Lions:
" Statues - New York Public Library - Lions " The NYPL Digital Collections .


Identifying Archival Repositories:
To identify repositories that may hold material on your subject, consult:

Archive Grid: Searchable database containing over 7 million records describing archival collections in 1,400 libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies around the world.  Also useful for identifying archival repositories by location. Read more in our GC Library blog post about ArchiveGrid .

Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States: Available in print at several NYPL and CUNY libraries.

Directories in the Library Catalog: Use the Advanced Search option in CUNY's OneSearch, WorldCat or other library catalog to find directories listing special libraries and archives.  Do a Subject search on “Archival resources -- United States – Directories” or “Manuscripts -- United States -– Directories” or “Libraries -- United States -- Special Collections –- Directories.”


- United States – Directories” or “Manuscripts -- United States -– Directories” or “Libraries -- United States -- Special Collections –- Directories.”Directory of Collections in the U.S. & Canada with Pre-1600 Manuscript Holdings: Melissa Conway, Lisa Fagin Davis. Directory of Collections in the United States and Canada with Pre-1600 Manuscript Holdings. Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Volume 109, Number 3 (September 2015), pp. 273-420.

Gale Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers: International coverage.  Requires New York Public Library barcode and pin to access.  48th edition (2020).

SAA Directory of Corporate Archives in the United States and Canada: Compiled by the Society of American Archivists, this directory includes companies that maintain their historical records themselves, as well as companies that contract with historical consulting firms to maintain their archives collections for them, and libraries that contain business records.


Finding Archival Repositories in NYC & Beyond:
Researchers In NYC are fortunate to have easy access to numerous world-class manuscript repositories. Following are links to the NYPL and N-YHS library pages, where you can find resources for just about any research project imaginable: The New-York Historical Society The New York Public Library Research Divisions See Finding Archival Repositories and lists of selected NYC Archives & Special Collections and International Repositories on the Archival Repositories page of this guide.


Selected International Archival Repositories:
Archives Around the World - Wikipedia List: Arranged by country.

Archives Portal Europe: Contains records for millions of archival items held in hundreds of repositories across Europe.

Australia - National Archives: 100 years of Australian Government records, documenting the history of individuals, communities, and the nation.

Canada - Library & Archives: Includes publications, archival records, sound and audio-visual materials, photographs, artworks, and electronic documents of Canadian heritage.

CARIBICA: The Caribbean Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

International Institute of Social History: Over 4,000 archives, more than 1 million printed volumes and audio-visual items, with a thematic emphasis on social and emancipatory movements.

Latin American Network Information Center: From UT Austin. Includes lists of resources by country and holdings of Latin American and Caribbean collections in the U.S.


etwork Information Center: From UT Austin. Includes lists of resources by country and holdings of Latin American and Caribbean collections in the U.S.National Archives Around the World - Wikipedia List: Arranged by country.

Russia - ArcheoBiblioBase: ArcheoBiblioBase (ABB) is an internet directory and bibliographic information system for archives in the Russian Federation.

United Kingdom - Archives Hub: A gateway to over 380 archival institutions across the UK.

United Kingdom - Discovery: More than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives of the UK and more than 2,500 archives cross the country.

World Wide Diplomatic Archives Index: From the U.S. Dept. of State's Office of the Historian.


Finding archival collections is often a multi-step process. 1)  Once you've done some background research and are familiar with the key names, dates, themes, events, and organizations related to your topic, search catalogs, databases , and published sources (books, articles, dissertations, etc.) to discover collections and to find out which repositories hold them. 2)  Once you know where collections are held, visit the websites of the libraries holding the collections and search again at the repository level .  Ideally, you will be able to read finding aids for the specific collections you have identified, and also discover related materials on your topic. Searching a repository's holdings directly will help you identify other archival collections of interest as well as books, newspapers and journals, pamphlets, photographs, prints, drawings, cartoons, posters, oral histories, maps, ephemera, objects, and published manuscripts in print, on microfilm, or in databases.


aphs, prints, drawings, cartoons, posters, oral histories, maps, ephemera, objects, and published manuscripts in print, on microfilm, or in databases.aphs, prints, drawings, cartoons, posters, oral histories, maps, ephemera, objects, and published manuscripts in print, on microfilm, or in databases.aphs, prints, drawings, cartoons, posters, oral histories, maps, ephemera, objects, and published manuscripts in print, on microfilm, or in databases.And because materials pertaining to a specific person, organization, or event often end up in multiple repositories, it is a good idea to search ArchiveGrid and WorldCat as well as individual repositories to be certain you don't miss sources relevant to your project.


For the best results, be flexible when you search. Try different combinations of search terms. When searching on personal names, try variant spellings, leave off first names, search whole names in quotes, and try last name, first name. Search for people and organizations as “subject,” “author/creator,” and “keyword.” Search on older terms and spellings in older sources. For example, if you were researching the early history of automobiles in digitized newspapers, you’d likely have better luck using the term “horseless carriages” than “cars” or “automobiles” because that was the term used between 1895 and 1910. Browse the “categories” section of the Oxford English Dictionary online to explore disused, archaic, and regional terms. Search for materials in multiple places. Try ArchiveGrid , WorldCat Discovery , and the websites, catalogs, and databases of the libraries likely holding sources on your topic.


ltiple places. Try ArchiveGrid , WorldCat Discovery , and the websites, catalogs, and databases of the libraries likely holding sources on your topic.ltiple places. Try ArchiveGrid , WorldCat Discovery , and the websites, catalogs, and databases of the libraries likely holding sources on your topic.ltiple places. Try ArchiveGrid , WorldCat Discovery , and the websites, catalogs, and databases of the libraries likely holding sources on your topic.Use keywords such as sources, archives, correspondence, diaries, interviews, narratives, or memoirs to find primary sources in a library catalog.


Repository Level Searching:
Use catalogs, databases, and secondary sources to identify repositories that collect materials on your topic or that are located in the geographic vicinity of your subject and search their holdings.  Or make an educated guess. If your research relates in any way to the history of New York City, for instance, you could safely assume that the New-York Historical Society Library would likely hold some material on your topic. From the N-YHS website , you can (1) browse an alphabetical list of processed archival collections, (2) search across the library's archival finding aids, (3) explore digitized holdings, and (4) search the library's online catalog to discover materials in a broad range of formats. Or if your research relates to theatre productions in the early 20th Century, the New York Public Library's Billy Rose Theatre Division would be a great place to start.  Researchers will find valuable search tips and strategies on their website.