Research at National Archives
Julie Linden
Social Science Library
140 Prospect Street
P.O. Box 208294
New Haven, CT 06520
(203) 432-3310
julie.linden@yale.edu
Research at National Archives
Purpose and expected outcome
Many Yale researchers in history, American studies, political science, and other disciplines,
find it necessary to travel to the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (NARA)
to access government records that are available only at NARA. A subset of NARA’s
collections have been packaged and sold in microform collections and have been acquired by
Yale Library or can be borrowed from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan; a very small
amount of NARA’s holdings have been digitized. The majority of NARA’s holdings must be
consulted onsite in one of its facilities.
Yale researchers who end up needing materials at NARA often begin their research process
in Yale’s government documents collections, to ascertain whether the desired research
materials are available at Yale or through interlibrary loan. When it is determined that a trip
to NARA is necessary, researchers often ask about the process of doing research at NARA.
In my capacity as government information librarian, I always refer researchers to the
information on NARA’s website to help them prepare for their research visit; however, I
could provide better guidance if I myself had experience researching at NARA. In fact, a
Ph.D. candidate in American Studies suggested this to me after returning from her own
research visit to National Archives—that it would be worth designing a research trip for
myself in order to experience NARA first-hand, and then be able to communicate my
experience to future Yale researchers I refer there.
The purpose of this project, therefore, is to gain experience in researching at NARA;
expected outcomes will be to convey useful information gleaned from the trip to Yale
researchers both in individual referrals to NARA (which can be during an in-person research
consultation, a phone conversation, or via e-mail or instant messaging) and through a web
page on the library’s web site, accessible through the library search engine, the Government
Information FAQ, and linked from appropriate subject and collection guides. Through this
information, gained through personal experience, Yale researchers will be better able to
prepare for efficient and effective research visits to National Archives.
Methodology
In order to maximize the utility of this trip and gain knowledge most broadly applicable to
Yale researchers, I will design two research topics that will require utilizing two NARA
collections to which I frequently refer Yale researchers: the records of the Department of
State and the Center for Legislative Archives. Research into foreign policy and legislative
history are of continued high interest at Yale, and while Yale Library has strong collections
to support both, NARA holds both State Department and Congressional materials that are not
available elsewhere.
Drawing on real-life (but anonymized) examples from Yale researchers, I intend to develop
these research questions fully in January and February and to search NARA’s online
collections guides in order to determine which portions of the NARA collections I will need
to access. This reflects the advice I routinely give to researchers planning NARA trips: after
determining what Yale Library holdings will support the research question, and searching
WorldCat and the Center for Research Libraries catalog to find materials that can be
borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, to then scrutinize NARA’s website to target the
appropriate record groups that contain material uniquely held in NARA. In addition, I will
follow the other advice I give to researchers – to read all of NARA’s web pages relevant to
preparing for a research visit.
The two NARA collections I plan to use are located in two facilities – the records of the State
Department are in College Park, MD, and the Center for Legislative Archives is in the
District of Columbia. I plan to spend one day in each facility. A day at each facility will
allow me to experience the research process fully – navigating the buildings, requesting
materials, obtaining copies or scans – and reflects time constraints under which Yale
researchers often must operate when researching in other institutions’ collections. While in
both facilities I will take notes on the process and, if possible, take photographs, to be posted
to a web site, which would be useful to researchers wanting a visual orientation as they
prepare for their trip.
Upon returning I will develop the notes and photographs into a web site aimed at Yale
researchers planning trips to these facilities. Since NARA is of course not a static institution,
and its services and facilities will change over time, I will be sure to include links to NARA’s
sites and will direct readers to check NARA for the latest information about research visits.
Timeline
January-February: develop research questions, determine which NARA materials to access
during the research trip.
March: travel to NARA facility at College Park, MD, and NARA’s Center for Legislative
Archives in Washington, D.C., spending one day at each location.
April-June: develop web site, create links to it from appropriate collection and subject
guides.
Fall semester: promote the web site to interested Yale researchers and librarians.
Expenses
Travel
Amtrak (round-trip New Haven / Washington DC) $270
Parking at New Haven's Union Station (3 days)
Metro/bus
$33
$10
Lodging in College Park
2 nights @ $240/night (including tax)
$480
3 days x $64/day
$192
Per diem
Total:
$985
Benefit
This project contributes to Yale University Library in that it enables the library to provide better
guidance to the many Yale researchers seeking advice on planning a research visit to National
Archives. Because the tangible deliverable of this project is a web site, the knowledge gained
from this project is not simply personal, delivered to researchers through individual referrals, but
can be generalized through a publicly accessible site. The site also benefits the larger library
community, because the information on it is not specific to Yale; any librarian referring
researchers to National Archives can use the site to provide tips and guidance.