Today, I am "borrowing" a post from the National Archives Catalog blog. In their article they advise researchers to search the National Archives catalog first and then call ahead. I reckon that you should search
our catalog first
and then contact us for additional details:
bdc@bcgov.net or call 843-255-6446. It's good advice for any family history or historical researcher. Do a little investigation in advance and contact staff before heading to the archives. It can prevent you from a wasted visit, considerable time and money - particularly with the holiday season drawing nigh.
Two Steps Every Researcher Should Take
You’ve
determined your research topic and gathered information, but are you
ready to visit a National Archives facility to conduct your research in
person?
Before you arrive, be sure to follow these two steps to ensure success!
- Search the National Archives Catalog
- Contact National Archives staff before your visit
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Search the National Archives Catalog
Use the National Archives Catalog
to search for your topic and related keywords. If you’re having trouble
finding relevant results, try narrowing your search with the refine
options on the left side of the screen or by conducting an advanced search. If you have any questions about how to use the Catalog, please contact us at catalog@nara.gov. We are here to help you navigate!
Once
you find records that interest you and you decide to visit a National
Archives facility to view them in person, first confirm their
availability by checking their Access Restriction(s) in the “Details”
section of the Catalog description.
If
records are listed as “Unrestricted,” you should be able to view the
records in person. If records are listed as “Restricted - Possibly,”
“Restricted - Partly,” or “Restricted - Fully” then you may be unable to
view them in person.
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If
you are interested in coming to a National Archives facility to view
particular records, note the National Archives Identifier (NAID) of the
records. This will come in handy in the next step when you contact us.
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Contact Us
Regardless
of the Access Restriction(s), please contact the reference unit listed
in the Catalog description under “Archived Copies.” It is very important
that you contact us three or more weeks before any planned visit to give the reference staff enough time to do appropriate investigation and preparation.
Reference
staff will be able to confirm the availability of records and possibly
prepare them for your visit if available for research. Give them either
the URL you bookmarked or the NAID you recorded. Please note, not all
facilities will prepare records in advance of your visit.
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Even
if you don’t find anything of interest, still contact us! If you know
which facility holds the records you would like to see, contact them
directly (a list of locations with contact information can be found here). If you are unsure of which facility might hold records relevant to your interest, use the general contact us
form. It’s possible the records you seek haven’t been described yet, or
weren’t described in a way that corresponded to the keywords you
entered in your search. A reference archivist will be able to help you
further.
We
know in person research visits often involve time and money, so we want
to help ensure your visit is as successful and productive as possible.
Want more researcher pro tips? Check our Researchers Help group on History Hub!
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