What is a finding aid?
How Are Materials Organized?
What are the elements of a Burns Library finding aid?
Can I View Or Print A PDF Finding Aid?
Is There A Limit To How Many Items I Can Request?
What Is A Burns Library Account And Why Do I Need One To Make Requests?
A finding aid is the most common way archival primary source collections are described. Think of it as a high level inventory, like a table of contents, of materials in a collection.
Finding aids place archival resources in context by including information about the collection, such as:
Typically, archival collections are described from general to specific, starting with the whole (collection), then proceeding to the components (series, subseries, folders, and items).
Repository:
A place where things can be stored and maintained, including any type of organization that holds documents, including business, institutional, government archives, and manuscript collections. John J. Burns library is the only repository represented in this site.
Collection:
A set of archival or manuscript materials that share the same provenance or were created in the same administrative unit.
Series:
A group of similar records that are arranged according to a filing system and that are related as the result of being created, received, or used in the same activity.
Sub-Series:
A body of documents within a series readily distinguished from the whole by filing arrangement, type, form, or content.
File:
A group of documents related by use or topic, typically housed in a folder (or a group of folders for a large file).
Finding aids in Search Burns Archives are divided into two sections:
Collection Overview:
This page displays the primary elements of the finding aid, including the scope and contents note, date(s) associated with the collection, creator information, conditions governing access and use, biographical and historical notes, and additional descriptive information.
Collection Organization:
This page contains an expanded view of the objects that comprise the collection and the manner in which they are organized in containers, including boxes and folders.
Yes. From the collection overview page there is a “print” icon in the top right corner that you can click which will generate a PDF finding aid that will be downloaded to your local device.
Yes. You can only place 20 requests. If you need more materials, please contact us and we will work to accommodate your request.
To use special collections material for research or for copy requests, you need to create a Burns Library Account. This account means you can:
For more information, visit our Burns Library Account FAQ page