Objective: Students will learn about the differences between a library and an archive and the different sources that might be available in each.

Transcription

1 LESSON 1: WHAT S IN AN ARCHIVE? WHAT S IN A LIBRARY? Objective: Students will learn about the differences between a library and an archive and the different sources that might be available in each. Background: The Wisconsin Historical Society is an excellent place for researchers to find information on a wide range of topics related to North American history. Resources are divided between the Library and Archives: The library provides access to published materials (books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets and government publications) about virtually all aspects of North American history. In addition to the history of Wisconsin and North America in general, the library has particularly strong genealogy, labor union, North American exploration, African American and Native American holdings. The Library serves as the North American history library of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and houses a premier collection of Wisconsin, Federal, and Canadian government publications. The archives provides access to collections of unpublished materials about the history of Wisconsin and a wide array of topics related to North American history. These collections include letters, diaries, organization records, Wisconsin state and local government records, photographs, films, oral histories, and many other kinds of unique materials documenting American history. The Wisconsin Historical Society s extensive map collection is also available in the archives. ACTIVITY 1. Explain the following scenario to students: One hundred years from now, their great-grandchildren want to do research on their great grandparent s lives as students in the early 21st century. Ask the class to brainstorm sources that might be available for their great-grandchildren to study about their lives. Remind students that a source could be created any time someone records information about them. Write the responses on the board. Ideas might include: Birth Certificates Adoption Records Report Cards Wedding Announcements Business records Home Movies Photographs Newspaper Articles Diaries or Journals Census Data Biographies Court Records Records of Licenses to Drive, Hunt, etc. Telephone Directory Listings Personal Interviews Obituaries Artifacts Letters written to or by the student Books or articles written by historians Architectural drawings of the students home Government Records If a future researcher wanted to find this information, where would they go? Explain to students that at the Wisconsin Historical Society and many other research institutions the location of this information would depend on whether the source was Published or Unpublished. As a class, have students go through the list and identify whether each one is published or unpublished.

2 Published Sources: Published sources include anything that was distributed for viewing by a large number of people. Newspapers (including wedding announcements, obituaries, etc.), magazines, biographies, telephone directories, and censuses are all published sources. Unpublished Sources: Unpublished sources usually include things that are one-of-a-kind, were created in limited quantity, or not created with the intent to distribute publicly. For example, letters, personal interviews, business records, architectural drawings, photographs, and government records are unpublished. NOTE: Some types of sources may be considered published or unpublished depending on the situation. For instance, a diary is usually a private and unpublished record, but it might be published later in book form, such as the diary of Anne Frank. Discuss whether a source is most likely to be published or unpublished and put them where you feel they fit best. 2. Ask which type of source would be found most easily. Why? Where would a researcher go to find each source? Published sources are more common since many more copies have been made, more readers and organizations have them, and often they are re-printed. MOST LIBRARIES FOCUS ON PUBLISHED MATERIALS. Many unpublished sources, especially personal ones, are lost over time unless someone an individual, an organization, or the government makes an effort to preserve them. For instance, sometimes families save letters, photographs, and other artifacts that are important to them, but the majority of personal materials are thrown away, destroyed, or misplaced. Unpublished sources also tend to be more rare. MOST ARCHIVES FOCUS ON UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS. 3. Explain to students that when they go to the Wisconsin Historical Society, they will find materials divided into published and unpublished materials. Almost all published sources are found in the library, while unpublished sources are in the archives. Ask the students where they are most likely to find sources on their topics, based on what you have discussed. 4. Photocopy the handout on the following page for each student or create an overhead transparency and display the page for your class. Ask students where they would go to find the following topics and sources, the library or the archives? - A book by a historian on bungalow-style architecture in the US (library) - A first-hand account, such as a letter, report, or diary entry, of the Black Hawk War that was fought in southern Wisconsin (archives) - Old photographs of Mansion Hill in Madison (archives) - Statistics that show how many women worked in Wisconsin factories during WWII (library) - A newspaper story about the Peshtigo Fire (library) - The original telegram notifying the governor about the Peshtigo Fire (archives) - A government report summarizing and explaining the Peshtigo Fire relief efforts written five years after the fire (library) 2

3 WHi Library Located on the second floor of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Materials in a library have usually been published. In general, libraries tend to contain more secondary sources: books, magazines, etc. A few big exceptions to this are newspapers, government records, and pamphlets. Because secondary sources are much more common and easier to obtain, libraries usually have information on a wider range of topics. At the Wisconsin Historical Society, the library generally collects materials about North American history. NOTE: Since there are more than 40 libraries on campus, sometimes materials related to North American history are located in other, more specific, libraries. For example: Books on polio might also be located in the medical library. Make sure to search for your topic in the UW Catalog before you visit us to make sure that the books you need are located in the Historical Society Library. Archives Located on the fourth floor of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Materials in an archive are usually unpublished. In general, archives tend to contain primary sources: written records of businesses and governments, oral histories, letters, photographs, etc. Archives can only save a small fraction of the records created in the world, so they have information on fewer topics than a library does. At the Wisconsin Historical Society, the archives generally collects materials mainly related to the history of Wisconsin. NOTE: In addition to Wisconsin history, materials in the archives can help to illustrate many national issues. There are several areas of national focus, including film and theater, labor history, mass communications, and social action. 3

4 LESSON 2: SEARCH STRATEGIES AND TIPS FOR UW CATALOG AND ARCAT Objective: To familiarize students with the online catalogs before arrival at the WHS and to give students the opportunity to locate sources before arrival. Background: While access to the catalogs will be available during the research fieldtrip, familiarizing students with the catalogs and allowing them time to search ahead of their arrival helps them make the most effective use of their trip and allows them to immediately start on their research. It is also important for students to understand that ArCat and the UW Catalog are two separate catalogs. Searching ArCat will not provide information on the Wisconsin Historical Society Library holdings and searching the UW Catalog will not provide information on archives sources. UW Catalog: The University of Wisconsin-Madison library catalog may be accessed anywhere there is an Internet connection. It is the online catalog containing the library holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society. In addition to cataloging the library holdings of the WHS, it also includes the holdings of all 40 libraries, containing 7.3 million volumes, 6.2 million microfilm items and 55,000 serial titles covering all aspects of life. ARCAT: ArCat is the online catalog of the archives holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Nearly all manuscripts and public records held by the WHS are searchable through ArCat. (Please note: You can find collection descriptions and call numbers through ArCat but collections are not available online). Activity: Although UW Catalog and ArCat catalog two different sets of holdings, they use nearly identical search strategies. This packet includes several useful worksheets for you to use as you introduce students to the catalogs and as they work on searching for their own topics. 1. UW Catalog vs. ArCat offers students a basic overview of the differences between the catalogs and the basics of effective searching. 2. Using the UW Catalog is a guided search activity for students to complete. It walks students through the steps of a search and demonstrates techniques for narrowing searches for better results. 3. The Research Roadmap helps students pull together important research ideas to use while searching the catalogs and during the fieldtrip. Hints and Tips Remind students that the online catalogs will only let them know what is in a collection and that library and archives items have to be accessed in person. When searching, don t be too specific. Broad general terms are frequently more successful. If an initial search is too large, it can always be narrowed. If a term or name search is unsuccessful, try related alternatives. The term the students may be using to search may not be the same term a librarian used to catalog the resource. Remind students that they will be working in the Historical Society Library. They should make sure any resources are in the Historical Society Library by using UW Catalog. When searching in the UW Catalog, links to electronic resources are sometimes included in the results. These may be accessible to the general public or may be UW licensed resources, in which case they are only available while on campus. When searching in ArCat, remember that collections can be large and that entire collections may not be described online. The catalog entry will let you know if there is a register available, either online or in the Archives, which will provide a more detailed listing of the contents of the collection. 4

5 WHi Different catalogs. Different resources. Same historical goodness. Library catalogs at UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Historical Society contain a lot of information. And by a lot, we mean a lot more than 7 million volumes. All that information is a fantastic resource, but searching through it without knowing how to use the library catalogs is like searching for treasure without a map: you could waste a lot of time digging before finding the gold. To make the most of your search, you have to learn the language of the search engine. If you know how to talk to a search engine, you can tell it exactly what you want, and that will save you time. The tips and tricks below are specifically geared towards the UW-Madison and Wisconsin Historical Society catalogs, but many of them will also work on Internet search engines like Google. What s the difference? It is important to understand that ArCat (Archives Catalog) and UW Catalog are two separate catalogs. Searching ArCat will not provide information on the Wisconsin Historical Society Library holdings and searching UW Catalog will not provide information on Archives sources. UW Catalog: The University of Wisconsin-Madison library catalog is located at and may be accessed anywhere there is an Internet connection. The UW Catalog is the online catalog containing the library holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society. In addition to cataloging the holdings of the WHS library, it also includes the holdings of all 40 libraries on campus. ARCAT: ArCat is the online catalog for the Wisconsin Historical Society s Archives holdings. It is accessible via the Internet at Nearly all manuscripts and public records held by the WHS are searchable through ArCat. (Please note: You can find the records and call numbers through ArCat, but, in general, collections are not available online.) Search Strategies Although the UW Catalog and ArCat catalog two different sets of holdings, they use nearly identical search strategies. Once you get into the catalog itself, follow these general steps to find useful materials. SEARCH: Using general terms for your topic, enter your search terms in the catalog. The best and easiest method of searching both the UW Catalog and ArCat is by Advanced Search. This search gives you additional options for adding terms and narrowing results. You may use a Basic Search (author, title, subject or keyword) in either catalog. It is advised that you use Basic Search only when you know the exact information that you are seeking. REVIEW: The catalog will return your results, displaying the author, title and date. To see complete information about the record, click on the title. This page will give you more information about the item and you can evaluate if it looks useful for your research. Remember: When using the UW Catalog sure to check the location of each item and make sure it s checked in. If an item is not listed as being in the Historical Society Library you will not be able to access it on the day of your fieldtrip. You may be able to get these items by interlibrary loan through your school or public library. If you find a particularly useful looking item when using the UW Catalog or ArCat, remember to look at the Subjects listed on each records page. Chances are other useful items might be classified under those same subject headings. RECORD: You have the option of writing down the location and call number of the item or printing or ing the screen. The call numbers can be long, but make sure to carefully write down the whole thing. If possible, printing records is also a convenient way to make sure you have all the important information the day of your fieldtrip. REPEAT: To go back to the list of your search results, click on the Return to Titles button. Try entering related search terms or clicking on a Subject in an entry to see related items. 5

6 Using the UW Catalog A really basic guide to finding what you what among the 7.2 million volumes, 58,000 periodicals, 6.7 million microfilm items and hundreds of thousands of government documents, maps, musical scores, audiovisual materials and other items housed in UW-Madison s more than 40 libraries. Getting Started In your Internet browser, go to If you are not on the UW-Madison campus, the UW Catalog will require you to log in by clicking on the link for guests. Searching 1. Select advanced search. The ONLY time you should use the basic search is when you know exactly what you re looking for (for instance, if you know the title of the book you want to find, or you re searching for a particular newspaper). Using the Set Libraries button on the left hand column of the results box allows you to limit results to the Wisconsin Historical Society library. 2. Let s say you re researching the Green Bay Packers for your History Day project. Type the word Packers into the Search for box and hit return. On the first page of results, how many of the titles are related to the Packers? What subjects are most of the entries about? Why did they come up? Narrowing for Better Results 1. The word Packers is clearly not returning the sources you want, and that s a good indication that you need to use a more specific term. Click on back in your browser to return to the search menu. This time, type Green Bay Packers in the search for box. Now how many responses on the first page are about your topic? How many responses did you get, total? (The number is at the top of the results page.) 2. You obviously won t want to read all those books. Because there are so many responses, you can narrow your search even more to find something on the specific topic in which you re interested. For example, you might focus on a player, a coach, an era, etc. Say you re specifically interested in how the Green Bay Packers developed such a devoted fan following. There is a good chance that you could find a book specifically about the history of the Packers fan base. To find out whether there s a book on the topic in the UW libraries, type Green Bay Packers in the top search box, then in the second box, type fans. How many responses did you get? Open a record. What is the title of this item? In which UW library is the item actually shelved? Is the book checked-in? Try searching for your own topic. Remember, the narrower your search, the fewer responses you will get. If you have trouble, think of synonyms or related terms that you could search for. If you re still stuck, ask your teacher or a librarian! 6

7 Work on this sheet as you pre-search the catalogs for sources and complete it before you arrive at the Wisconsin Historical Society for your fieldtrip. It will give you ideas on what types of sources you might find and how to find them. Make sure to bring it with you to Madison! Topic: Important dates, places and people associated with my topic: (Be sure to check spelling!) Related Search Terms: (Related words, ideas or synonyms) Possible primary source types for my topic: (Letters? Maps? Photographs? Newspapers? Etc.) Resources I can t find and questions I have for a librarian or archivist: Most of my research needs to be done in the: Library Archives Both 7