At Archival Institutions
Unpublished
Archival Institutions are quite different to Libraries in the
way in which their collections are catalogued, and also in the way in
which their holdings can be accessed. While library collections mainly
consist of published material, archival institutions preserve and provide
access to unpublished material, such as correspondence files, accounts,
reports, diaries etc... Provenance is a key factor.
For researchers to be able to make full use of archival material, it
is important for them to be able to view the material in context. Whenever
possible, archivists endeavour to preserve records in their original
order, which helps to make this possible.
So an archival collection, such as the University of Melbourne Archives,
is made up of many separate collections (often quite large, and measured
in metres!). An archive usually produces, and makes available guides
to the collections, in the form of "finding aids", which are lists of
the individual items within a collection. Often finding aids can only
be consulted at the archival institutions themselves, though some publish
guides, and lists of holdings. In addition many are now making lists
of holdings available on the www.
The University
of Melbourne Archives has an online database, although not all of
its holdings are yet on the database. The database can be searched from
the Archives homepage.
Access to material held in Archival Institutions varies. A researcher
must visit the Archives, place a request for the specific material in
which they are interested, and read it in the reading room. (However,
in some instances, permission must be sought from the donor of the collection.)
Sometimes there is an embargo on accessing material under a certain
age (perhaps 50 years). This particularly applies to Government material.
Sometimes the material is stored at another location and must be brought
in for use.
It is a good idea to contact the Archives before a visit to discuss
access conditions.
Published
While most archival material remains unpublished, some is available
in book form, or in microform, or electronically. Published material
is much easier to locate, and access.
For instance, assume that you were trying to locate Historical
Records of Victoria, (Foundation Series) a seven volume
set containing copies of very early Victorian (Port Phillip district)
government records. (The originals are held in the Public Records Office
of Victoria). It would simply be a matter of searching on the University
of Melbourne Library Catalogue, noting down the Call Number and retrieving
the books from the shelves. (If the volumes you needed were unavailable
you could always search on Coolcat to find another location.)
See Archives and Manuscripts section in Identifying
Sources
