Research Guides: English: Archives

Selected Archives

Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Archives
The Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Archives collects and preserves unpublished materials related to North American nondenominational Protestant evangelistic activities and global missionary efforts, especially focused on the twentieth century. We strive to make these materials available to scholars, students, Christian workers, and the general public through our manuscripts reading room, programming, and outreach efforts.
Papers of the William Ashley "BIlly Sunday and Helen Amelia (Thompson) Sunday
Collection of the Billy Sunday Papers housed at the Morgan Library
Winona History Center
The Winona History Center operates a museum, the Billy Sunday family home and archives archives which house thousands of documents, recordings, and letters from Winona’s rich past.
Morgan Library Digital Collections
The Archives and Special Collections of Morgan Library serve the mission of Grace College & Seminary by collecting and preserving materials to provide a historic testimony for a contemporary faith. It serves as the repository of churches and agencies of Charis Fellowship and also houses materials relevant to the community of Winona Lake, Indiana.
Marion E. Wade Center
The Marion E. Wade Center of Wheaton College, Illinois, is a major research collection of materials by and about seven British authors: Owen Barfield, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.

Terminology

Some terminology you will want to know when researching in the Archives.

Collection: A group of documents that is intentionally assembled based on subject, form, geographic scope or other common characteristics.

Finding Aid: A tool that facilitates discovery of information within a collection of records

A description of records that helps users gain access to and understand a collection of archival materials.

Provenance: The origin or source of something or Information regarding the origins custody, and ownership of an item or group of items.

Society of American Archivists - Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology

Locating Archives

ArchiveGrid
ArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.
Archives World Map
Indiana Archives and Record Administration - Collections
Center for Research Libraries Digital Collections
CRL digitizes materials from our collections to support research and teaching. CRL also negotiates favorable terms with publishers for member institutions to acquire major electronic resources locally.
National Archives
Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
You will find in the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) resource online access to records in a small selection of historic databases preserved permanently in NARA. Out of the nearly 200,000 data files in its holdings, NARA has selected approximately 475 of them for public searching through AAD. We selected these data because the records identify specific persons, geographic areas, organizations, and dates. The records cover a wide variety of civilian and military functions and have many genealogical, social, political, and economic research uses

Using LancerQuest to search for Archives

Many digital, print, and microform primary resources can be located by searching the library catalog, LancerQuest or WorldCat. Add these subjects to your topic or subject:

personal narratives

diaries

sources

correspondence

interviews

pamphlets

speeches

early works to 1800

For example: Lewis, c.w. and correspondence

"williams, william carlos" and speeches

OR limit your FORMAT results to Archival material

Contacting Archives

Locate the Archives website and read it for special instructions and contact information
If appropriate, Call or email the library or Archives you wish to visit and set up an appointment well in advance of your visit.
Arrive on time,
Obey their rules (no food, drink, bags, etc.)
Thank them and offer the send them a copy of your research.