An archive is a collection of historical records or documents with information about a place, an institution, or a people. The records and documents collected in archives are valuable resources for genealogists and family historians. A governmental entity, a university, or private individuals and organizations can maintain archives. Many countries maintain a national archive, such as the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, and others. Many universities have libraries with archives called “Special Collections.”
What is the difference between an archive and a museum?
Archives usually focus on preserving documents and records, while museums collect physical artifacts. However, the difference between an archive and a museum needs to be better defined. Some archives also have collections of historical physical objects, and some museums have significant collections of genealogically valuable documents. When looking for an archive, you should also include historical societies, museums, genealogical societies, and libraries in your search.
Why do I need to go to an archive?
Because so many genealogically valuable historical records and documents have been digitized, it is easy to get the idea that “everything” is already online. However, despite the vast number of online digitized records and documents, considering the number of documents still only available on paper, the percentage of digitized documents is still quite small. Archives still preserve many valuable, unique genealogical records that have not yet been digitized or made available online. Access to these documents may only be accessed by physically visiting the archive for genealogical research.
What kinds of documents can I find in an archive?
Most archives focus on a specific geographical area or type of document. For example, national, state, and provincial archives usually collect only documents and records produced by their own government and its agencies. Other archives base their collection on a region such as records from New England. Some of the largest archives seem to add anything of interest and you may be surprised at the content of their collections.
What archival records help genealogists?
Archives can contain almost any kinds of documents imaginable from birth, marriage, and death records to probate records, land and property records, military records, church records, cemetery records, census records, and many more. The types of records in an archive depends on its geographic location and the interests of those collecting the documents.
Are there online archives?
There are a huge number of online archives on the internet. The large, online genealogy websites, such as MyHeritage.com, can all be considered archives. An example of one of the largest online archives for all kinds of digital media is the Internet Archive or Archive.org. To find some of these online archives, you can do a Google Search for your research topic and then add the word “archive” to your search terms. For example, if you are interested in researching your genealogy in the United States Southern States, you could search for “Southern US genealogy research archive.”
Should I look for genealogy archives?
There are many genealogy websites that have collections of original digital images of valuable genealogical records, but many valuable records are not associated with genealogy or collected and maintained solely for those interested in their family history. Many archives and similar organizations have collections and research aids for genealogists. One example is the U.S. National Archives.
How do I find an archive near me?
Most active archives have information about their collections online. When searching for archives in the United States, you can use the ArchiveGrid.org website to find archives across the country and near you. You can also find a list of the world’s national archives on Wikipedia. Another helpful website for Europe is Europeana.eu.
How do I plan a research trip to an archive?
Before you travel to do research in an archive, spend some time learning about the specific requirements for access. Every archive has different requirements. Some require you to obtain prior authorization. Others have a mandatory training program for researchers. Others are only available to accredited researchers from recognized institutions and universities. For example, here is a link to the U.S. National Archives webpage that explains the requirements for doing onsite research. See Plan Your Research Visit | National Archives.
Can I take a camera or scanner to an archive?
What you can and cannot use to take notes varies with every archive. You need to find out in advance if you can use electronic equipment or whether making copies or taking photos of documents and records is allowed.
See also
Explore more about archives
- Daniel’s Favorites: 5 Amazing Archives Well Worth a Visit from the MyHeritage Blog
- 10 Things to Do Before Leaving a Library or Archives, webinar by Melissa Barker on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Immigration: The First and Last Big Challenge in Genealogical Research by James Tanner at Genealogy's Star Blog
- Start Your Genealogy Research: Introduction to NARA Resources at National Archives
- Archives Portal Europe
- Historical Archives of the European Union
- Guide to European and UK Libraries, Archives and Research Centers at Columbia University Libraries
- Tracing Family History at the Archives of Ontario - Getting Started at National Archives
- Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research at Society of American Archivists