Category: Research Strategies

Research Strategies: Finding Hispanic Heritage Materials at the ALA Archives

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

From September 15 to October 15, it is Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States and we at the ALA Archives want to help you optimize your research into Hispanic American heritage and history. In this month’s blog post, we’ll take a tour through ALA Archives holdings and we’ll use multiple strategies for finding information.

Read on to learn more about locating Hispanic American history materials at an archives!

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The A.L.A. and Armed Services Librarianship

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

After the success of supporting library service for soldiers during World War One and Two, A.L.A. members have been a part of the expansion of public library services including armed services librarianship across the country and overseas.

Read on to learn more about armed services librarianship!

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Research Strategies: Finding Asian American and Pacific Heritage Materials at the ALA Archives

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and we at the ALA Archives want to help you optimize your research into Asian Pacific American history. In this month’s blog post, we’ll take a tour through ALA Archives holdings and we’ll try multiple strategies for finding information. Read on to learn more!
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Research Strategies: Finding African American History Materials at the ALA Archives

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

February is African American history month and we at the ALA Archives want to help you optimize your research into African American and African history. In this month’s blog post, we’ll take a tour through ALA Archives holdings and we’ll use multiple strategies for finding information.

Read on to learn more about locating African American history materials at an archives!


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Research Strategies: Publications of the A.L.A.

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

This holiday season is a great chance to consider the many historic professional gifts of A.L.A. members to colleagues past, present, and future: professional publications rich with information for all. However, there is so much A.L.A. produced literature that it may not be possible for one to read everything in a lifetime. So this ALA Archives gift to you is a strategy (or two) for navigating the many different historic publications of the A.L.A.

An ALA Publications List Poster
A poster of an ALA publications list , circa 1925, in Record Series 13/2/22, Box 1.

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Research Strategies: Publications About the A.L.A. and Librarianship

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

One method for searching an institutional or organizational archives is through a review of publications about the organization. Some external publications capture ephemeral information about an organization and complement other archival information. Such formal or informal publications can be produced by the organization, by institutions, by groups, or by people. Read on to see some examples of what an archives may hold in a Record Group 0!

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Research Strategies: Reading and Accessing Database Records

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

Now that we can locate record series, we can learn how understanding and searching record series descriptions are important tools for research. Let’s appreciate the anatomy and physiology of these database records and supplemental resources.

A List of ALA Archives Record Series Database Record
A Screen Capture of a Current ALA Archives Record Series Database Record

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Research Strategies: Navigating a Record Series Structure

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

One method for searching the holdings of an institutional or organizational archives (like the ALA Archives) is through a review of the record series structure. Like a library’s classification system, a record series structure is developed to help conceptualize where archivists may file documents or records. In addition to keyword searches, a review of how archivists file donations is a helpful strategy for locating items. Read on to learn how to search an archives without using a keyword search!

A Photograph of Clement Andrews and Adam Strohm at Santa Cruz, Calfornia, around the time of the 1911 Pasadena, California, ALA Annual Conference
Be like librarians Andrews and Strohm, admiring impressive foundations of organic entities (like libraries, archives, and trees) much larger than ourselves!

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Research Strategies: The Reference Library of the ALA Archives (Bookcase Two of Two)

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

For specific inquiries about ALA members and history, a review of our reference library is due. The ALA Archives library is an easily over-looked resource rich with data and research strategies. After reviewing general reference books, some queries are specifically answered with the following resources. Read on to learn even more!

ALA Archives Bookcase Two
ALA Archives Bookcase Two

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Research Strategies: The Reference Library of the ALA Archives (Bookcase One of Two)

Posted on by Salvatore De Sando

For general inquiries about ALA members and history, a review of our reference library is due. The ALA Archives library is an easily over-looked resource rich with data and research strategies. Before beginning archival research, some queries are efficiently answered with the following resources. Read on to learn more!

Image of Bookcase One at ALA Archives
Image of Bookcase One at ALA Archives

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