These are a few sample searches. Feel free to create your own!
* The engine looks for every term you submit, it is a text search within the finding aid database.
* It returns both descriptions of our holdings AND links to items in our digital library.
* To look for phrases, use double quotes, e.g "Festival of Contemporary Arts"
* If you know the record series or collection number that you want, enter the number in the search box. For example, '12/9/101' returns the Eddie Alkire Collection .
* If you need to search deep into box/folder lists, run two separate searches, one with 'Include box lists' checked and another via the 'PDF Search' link.
* Limiting 'Hits': Use a minus sign, e.g. 'bass -fish' finds bass guitars but not bass fishing.
* Call or email the archives. We're here to help!
All of the Archives service centers' web pages have a search box that gives you access to our holdings. You will be pointed to a finding aid, which is the tool that is used to describe a collection or record series. The search engine will return hits in the following categories:
* Records and Manuscripts: this is where you can find collections or record series that match the search term you entered.
* Digital Images and Records: this is a link to digital images that match your search terms.
* Creator Descriptions: in here, you'll find names and descriptions of creators (persons or organizations) that match your search.
* Subject Headings: Like the library catalog, in here you'll find subject terms that match your search query.
Click on any of these categories for links to the actual content.
In this example, we have searched for the word "Band". Click here to see the search results.
Important information to collect:
a. Collection title and/or identifying number assigned by institution
b. Title of document following style guide rules for underlining or quotation marks.
c. Author
d. Archive/Institution where documents are permanently housed
e. City/Country (when applicable)
Examples
MLA
1. Music manuscript:
Sousa, John Philip. The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Ms. John Philip Sousa Music and Personal Papers, ca.1880-ca.1932, Record Series # 12/9/95, Box 240 Folder 1. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign.
2.Correspondence:
Root, Virginia. Letter to her husband, George T. Macadam. 22 June 1918. Virginia Root Collection, 1847-1945, Record Series #12/9/55, Box 4 Folder 3. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign.
Chicago
1. Music manuscript
John Philip Sousa, “The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company” ms score, 1924, John Philip Sousa Music and Personal Papers, ca.1880-ca.1932, Record Series # 12/9/95, Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
2. Correspondence:
Root to Macadam, letter, 22 June 1918, Virginia Root Collection, 1847-1945, Record Series #12/9/55, Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign. FOOTNOTE
Virginia Root Collection, 1847-1945, Record Series #12/9/55, Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign. ENDNOTE
