National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) Provides online access to bibliographic records describing "archival and manuscript collections held by eligible repositories located throughout the United States and its territories" (home page). Specifically, NUCMC indexes the following kinds of materials: "archival and manuscript collections; mixed materials (i.e., collections that contain two or more different types of bibliographic material); and bibliographic materials that have been described using archival descriptive rules" (About Searching Manuscript Collections page).
Note: Online coverage exists only from 1986 on. Earlier bibliographic records can be found in the NUCMC printed volumes (see Print section below).
Repositories of Primary Sources "A listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar" (home page). Organized geographically; for subject organization, see print guides below.
Print
Articles Describing Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States: An Annotated Bibliography. Compiled by Donald L. DeWitt. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997. (Central Reference CD3022 .A2 D478 1997) Go to Acorn record
Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States: An Annotated Bibliography. Compiled by Donald L. DeWitt. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994. (Central Reference CD3022 .A2 D48 1994) Go to Acorn record
Index to Personal Names in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, 1959-1984. Alexandria, Va.: Chadwyck-Healey, 1988. 2 vols. (Central Reference Z6620 .U5 I53 1988 v. 1-2) Go to Acorn record Personal name access to the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC).
Index to Subjects and Corporate Names in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, 1959-1984. Alexandria, Va.: Chadwyck-Healey, 1994. 3 vols. (Central Reference Z6620 .U5 N3 Suppl. v.1-3) Go to Acorn record Subject access to the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC).
National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC). Washington: Library of Congress, 1959-1993. (Central Reference Z6620 .U5 N3) Go to Acorn record Online coverage available from 1986 on. See under Online section above.
Subject Collections: A Guide to Special Book Collections and Subject Emphases as Reported by University, College, Public, and Special Libraries and Museums in the United States and Canada. Compiled by Lee Ash and William G. Miller. 7th ed. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, 1993. 2 vols. (Central Reference Bookcase-1 Z731 .A78 1993 v.1-2) Go to Acorn record
The contents of this document rely heavily on the third edition of Thomas Mann's The Oxford Guide to Library Research (Oxford University Press, 2005).
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