Genealogy in Archives: Tour of an Archive Part 1 - What You'll See in the Reading Room
Hi there! I’m a genealogist who also works in archives. For my first blog posts, I’d love to give you an imaginary tour of what you, the genealogist, might find when you enter an archive to do research. Perhaps it may also answer some questions for you about the mysterious nature of archives, archivists, and the treasures they care for.
Most archives and archival-type repositories have a “Reading Room,” or a space designed to welcome researchers from the public. These rooms typically have tables and comfortable (hopefully) chairs for you to use while you view archival materials. One big difference between an archive and a library is that archive materials are not in circulation – that is, you cannot check them out and take them home. These tables are where you will wait for the materials to be brought to you during your stay.
When you first enter a reading room, you will likely be greeted by a reception or check-in desk. The staff working in the reading room need to know who you are and have a rough idea of what your research plans are. This may involve a simple photo id check or online registration. Some larger, more illustrious archives such as The Huntington Library in San Marino, California, will require specific qualifications for you to enter (such as holding a PhD.) It is important for the staff to know who you are and to track your presence and items used while there. Should there be any theft of damage to the materials, they will be able to know who used them last.
Most archives will have rules for where you can place your belongings such as coats, hats, backpacks, and purses. They might have free lockers for you to use. This is to help prevent theft of materials as well. Most archives will allow you to use paper and pencil at the tables (pens are a no no around archival materials). Some will allow you to bring your laptop and phones to the table as well. Don’t be alarmed by the rules in the room – they really are glad you are there to see the materials! They just have to protect them.
There might be interesting people in the room, hailing from all over, who have come to do research. While you may be tempted to talk with them, most reading rooms have a quiet policy similar to that of a library. Hopefully you can talk with these people on your break outside of the room.
While your items are being paged, or ordered, you may be able to peruse some of the reference books on the shelves in the reading room. If you have ordered multiple items you will likely only be able to view one box of materials at a time, depending on the type of items. You can take breaks during your research visit but may need to alert the staff so they can watch over your materials for you. If you have ordered audio or visual materials, the reading room will have stations where you can view those items – such as stations with a DVD player or VHS player with headphones.
If you find you would like to make copies in addition to the notes you have taken, consult the staff about their duplication procedures. If the items are approved for duplication, the archive may have copy or scanning services available (often for a fee). Some archives are now placing free scanning machines directly in the reading rooms for you to use. When making copies of any materials make sure you have consulted the collection’s finding aid to view that collection's publication and copyright information, especially if you intend to quote or publish in some way.
When you’re done for the day the staff will check you out and may ask you how your research session went. Feel free to ask for their research advice, as they may know of some other materials helpful to you. And pat yourself on the back for an archival research session well-accomplished!