Performing Archival Research

Consider how you might find a book at the Pratt Library: you search the catalog, find a record for the book you’d like to check out, and then locate it in the stacks based on the information provided in the catalog. Archives work in a similar manner, but there are some unique limitations: 

• Archival materials do not circulate, meaning you cannot check them out and bring them home to study. 
• To find materials, instead of using a catalog like the Library, archives use finding aids, which function as guides to all the collections held by a repository.
• Instead of retrieving the materials yourself, you tell the Archives staff what you are interested in viewing, and they will locate and bring them to you during a research appointment.

Because archival collections have so many unique components and their materials are often fragile, these restrictions are needed in order to make sure the collections remain together and undamaged for future researchers. Archives research appointments at Pratt are open to all researchers, no matter the scale of your research. You could be curiously browsing a collection or writing a doctoral dissertation–  all levels of archival inquiries are welcome! 

The following pages provide expanded information as found on the Pratt Institute Archives' Visit Page. The goal of this guide is to demystify the archival research process, and help you prepare for your visit to the Pratt Institute Archives.