Archival sources are original documents, records, or materials that have been preserved and maintained in archives or repositories for their historical, cultural, legal, or administrative value. These sources provide firsthand, unmediated evidence or information about past events, people, organizations, or topics. Types of archival sources include manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, objects and artifacts, newspapers, official records, correspondence, and more.
Many cultural and historical organizations have developed and maintain their own digital archives, and results found through Google Advanced Search often include directions to an archive. If you need help accessing archival materials, please contact our school archivist, Ms. Heidi Charles (hcharles0f@nobles.edu).
Ms. Charles has also created a separate research guide that explains both how to locate some of those archives as well as how to use them. She has also included information about how to navigate digital finding aids and paper archives. Please click here to access the archival sources research guide.