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Database Help:
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Special Collections USA is produced by Chadwyck-Healey, Inc. The database contains three different resources of archival collection information.
Resource #1 - a directory of manuscript repositories, giving addresses (including e-mail and URL's), hours of operation, holdings information, and areas of concentration.
Resource #2 - a fully searchable listing of archival collections contained in the National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections. This resource covers approximately 80,000 collections.
Resource #3 - a name and subject index of archival collections that are contained in the National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United States. This resource covers over 50,000 collections. Records are updated quarterly.
Special Collections USA is available through the Library Databases web page or computer terminals in the Library Reference Department.
Keyword searching provides the most comprehensive way of searching the database. Type in word(s) or phrase(s), then click on search (you must click on search, pressing enter will not work). Keyword searches use indexing terms from the National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United States (NIDS). Keyword searches allow Boolean operators ("and", "or", "not"; the database default is "or") and truncation (the truncation symbol is "*").
When searching for phrases (e.g. "new deal"), truncating may only be used with the last word in the phrase. Use the browse button to refine searches that do not produce the desired results.
Special Collections USA displays the results of your search on a summary of matches screen. The top line of the record gives the name of the archival collection. Clicking on this line gives directory information about the collection (size, information sources included, etc.). The third line of the record gives the name of the institution housing the collection. Clicking on this line gives directory information about the institution (such as: hours of operation, size of all of its archival collections, phone and fax numbers). Many institutions also include an e-mail link to contact for further information, as well as a website URL.
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Diane Downing
Head of Reference
Gee Library, Texas A&M University - Commerce
PO Box 3011, Commerce, TX 75429
phone: (903) 886-5719
email: diane_downing@tamu-commerce.edu
Last updated June 2002.