Women in American Religious History
Finding Archival Sources
At Harvard
- Search the HOLLIS
catalog
- by author [papers of an individual or family, or the records of an organization]
- by subject [writings by or about an individual, or topical subjects]
- or by keyword [You can use the "expanded search" to limit your searches to manuscript records (see "format" choices). You can also "modify" search results to include only manuscript format.]
Be sure to read the entire "Biography" (or "History") and "Scope and Content" note; these sections contain valuable information about the contents of the collection.
Write down the call number information (manuscripts at Andover-Harvard begin with the call number "bMS")
- Look for the finding aid (a.k.a., folder list, register, inventory, guide)
There are over 1,000 finding aids from manuscript repositories at Harvard available online at OASIS (Online Archival Search Information System). But this is just a small percentage of what is available at Harvard.
Many Andover-Harvard registers are available on our website.
Finding aids for pre-1986 collections at Houghton Library are found in: Inventories of Manuscripts in the Houghton Library, Harvard University. Alexandria, Va., U.S.A.: Chadwyck-Healey, [1986?]. 348 microfiche; 11 x 15 cm. [Houghton: Reading Room HRR 1 F; Widener: Microfiche RR 47]
- Learn about the repository
An appointment is necessary to use any manuscript or archival collection at Andover-Harvard Library. See the Requesting Services page for more information.
Other repositories at Harvard include:
For information about the many archives and manuscripts at Harvard, also see the list on the Harvard Libraries website.
In general, manuscript materials are kept in closed stacks and may only be used in a designated reading room. You will probably be asked to leave all materials outside the reading room except pencils, note cards, paper, and/or a computer. Access to some collections may be restricted.
Beyond Harvard
ArchivesUSA. New York: Chadwyck-Healy, Inc., c1997-. [Provides information about primary source materials from nearly 4,500 manuscript repositories in the United States. It includes records, with indexes, for approximately 100,000 manuscript and other collections. It brings together information from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) and the National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS). It also updates and supersedes the Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States (DAMRUS), last published in 1988. Many Harvard records will be found here.] Harvard E-Resource.
Archival Resources. [This database contains approximately 500,000 records (largely summary descriptions) of archives, manuscripts, and special collections; plus more than 3,000 collection guides (i.e., finding aids). The web interface uses Java scripts, which are slow on old modems and computers.] Harvard E-Resource.
Index to Personal Names in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, 1959-1984. Alexandria: Chadwyck-Healey, 1988. 2 v.; 29 cm. [This has been incorporated into ArchivesUSA, but sometimes it's easier to scan the printed version.] [Ref. Z6620.U5 N32 1988]
Women's History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States. Ames S. Bower and Andrea Hinding, editors. New York: Bowker, 1979. 2 v.; 29 cm. [v. 1. Collections (listed geographically).--v. 2. Index, edited by Suzanna Moody, is extremely useful.] [Ref. Z7964.U49 W64]
A Guide to Women's Archival Collections in Repositories Related to the United Church of Christ. [New York, N.Y.: Coordinating Center for Women in Church and Society, United Church of Christ Archives and Historical Council], 1995. xi, 24 p.; 28 cm. [Ref. Z7963.R45 G85 1995]
LexisNexis Primary Sources in U.S. History. [This resource includes the finding aids to over 125 archival research collections in United States history on microfilm, available in the Government Documents and Microforms Department in Lamont Library. Of special interest are these collections: "New England Women and Their Families in the 18th and 19th Centuries" and "Southern Women and Their Families in the 19th Century: Papers and Diaries."] Harvard E-Resource.
Five College Archives Digital Access Project. [Gateway to a large digital archive of historical resources found at Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, as well as the University of Massachusetts. The site provides access to digitized information primarily relating to women's history and education.] Free E-Resource.
Google Scholar. [Because Google Scholar searches the websites of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web, it is more likely to produce "scholarly" results. Free version does not include access to online journal articles.] Harvard E-Resource; free version available.
Contents: American History | American Religious History - General | American Religious History - Special Topics | American Women's History | Women in American Religious History | Women and Religion | Women Philosophers | Women's Studies | Other Selected Reference Sources | Finding Printed Sources | Finding Archival Sources
The complete guide is also available in a one-page format, which is especially useful for viewing and printing the entire guide at once.
This guide was originally prepared for HDS 2325, "The Religious History of American Women," September 1999, by Clifford Wunderlich. It was last revised March 11, 2005.