The term Archives can mean a few things:
All of these make for great primary source research, especially if you can find archives that have been digitized with open access online or at an institution that you can visit nearby.
Click here for an extensive PDF on what archives are and how to use them.
What Are the Benefits of Archival Research?
from the University of Toronto Libraries
Researching in Libraries vs. Archives
(from University of Toronto)
| Libraries | Archives |
|---|---|
| Published material | Unpublished material |
| Secondary sources | Primary sources |
| Interpretations | Evidence |
| Can browse materials | Closed stacks |
| Can sign out materials | On-site research |
| Organized by subject | Organized by provenance and original order |
| Catalogued at the item-level (discrete items) | Described at higher levels (aggregations) |
| Cataloguing is very standardized, opportunity for copy-cataloguing | Descriptions are less standardized and often time consuming to create |
Searching Archives
Archives keep items together in groups based on who created them. Keeping collections together by creator preserves the context of the materials. To find sources relevant to your research topic, ask yourself, "Who would have created materials that addressed this topic?"
Then, find an appropriate archive and start digging!
Here are some tips:
The following is a partial list of archival institutions located in the San Francisco Bay Area, collected by librarians at California College of the Arts.
The African American Museum and Library at Oakland is dedicated to the discovery, preservation, interpretation and sharing of historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in California and the West for present and future generations.
The primary archive and special collections library at UC Berkeley, and one of the largest archival institutions in the world.
The Bay Area Lesbian History Archives Project will create a sustainable non-profit, community-run archival institution to preserve lesbian history in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. By gathering and preserving historical material, the archives will maintain lesbian visibility, become a living history, and continue the tradition of community building. (currently online only)
Online recordings of Bay Area radio programming.
Features local news film, documentaries and programs donated to San Francisco State's J. Paul Leonard Library by broadcasters and private individuals, to be preserved as an academic resource.
The research library at the California Academy of Sciences includes the institution's archival collections relating to natural and scientific history.
The CHS collections are a mix of library and archive content, with 50,000 books and 4,000 manuscript collections available for researchers.
The Computer History Museum is home to the world's largest collection of artifacts related to the history of computing and includes hardware, software, documents, ephemera, photographs and moving images.
Archive of David Rumsey's collection of historic and rare maps.
Research resources of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, including the DeYoung Museum and the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Holdings include a complete microfilm collection of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.
Collection of audio and video tapes relating to Bay Area social justice movements from the 1960s through the 1990s.
Approximately 800 collections of personal papers, photographs, audiovisual recordings, and organizational records. All visits are by appointment.
6,000 archival collections relating to 20th and 21st century "war, revolution, and peace" at Stanford's Hoover Institution.
Irish-American Crossroads aims to produce a comprehensive archive of the life stories of the Irish in the San Francisco Bay Area, representative of all generations of heritage.
Curated special collections of over 40,000 items related to lettering, typography, calligraphy, and graphic design.
The library and archives of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, including over 7,000 archival collections relating to maritime history.
The holdings of the National Archives at San Francisco include over 70,000 cubic feet of original records dating from the 1850s to the 1980s, with a limited number of records as recent as the early 2000s. The NASF holdings are a primary resource for the study of Asian-Pacific immigration, environmental and natural history, naval and military activity in the Pacific, the American Indian experience, and many other aspects of United States history.
The Oakland History Room at the main branch of the Oakland Public Library collects books and archival materials related to Oakland and East Bay history.
Digitized collection of historic advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur films hosted online by the Internet Archive.
The Daniel E. Koshland San Francisco History Center contains a research collection of books, newspapers and magazines, photographs, maps, posters, archives and manuscript collections, and ephemera, documenting all aspects of San Francisco life and history. The Center is also the archives for the City and County of San Francisco.
Photographs, programs, audio and video recordings, and other ephemera produced by the SF Opera, the oldest extant opera company on the West Coast.
The SFMOMA Archives collect, preserve, and share museum records, artifacts, and memorabilia. The Archive holds records from the Office of the Director(s), exhibition documentation and photographs, publications, sound and video recordings of events, and more.
Digital archive of SFSU collections, including the San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive, the SFSU College Strike Collection, the Poetry Center Digital Archive, the SFSU Museum Collection, and the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability Collection.
Special and archival collections held by the Stanford Libraries.
Archives and special collections of UC Berkeley's Environmental Design Library, focusing on architects, architecture, and landscape design.
The archives for the Western Railway Museum in Suison City, with corporate documents from a variety of Northern California rail and transit systems, including the Key System and BART.