A finding aid is a descriptive guide to the content of a collection. The guide describes the origin, background, contents, and arrangement of a collection. It also includes a folder listing of the contents.

Processed Collections
The alphbetical links below lead to an annotated list of all processed collections with links to the finding aids.

Finding Aids by Collection Type

PROGRESS NOTES

Progress Notes: Where We Stand on
The Personal and Political Papers of Barry M Goldwater
Linda Whitaker, CA

Report #4:
The Goldwater Scrapbooks
A Work in Progress

There are nearly 400 scrapbooks and albums in the Personal and Political Papers of Senator Barry M Goldwater. A number of these were started by the Senator himself and date back to his early business and public service career. Most contain fragile newspaper clippings painstakingly collected by family, staff members, colleagues and friends. Apart from the comprehensive pubic record, the scrapbooks allow the researcher a consolidated media source and the historical context for Goldwater political commentary, interviews, public appearances, campaigns, and various legislative initiatives.

In most congressional collections, scrapbooks and albums would be considered adjunct or alternative resources – nice to have, good as back-up, and useful for exhibits but not highly sought after by researchers. While we have microfilm containing legislative files for his first two terms in office(1952-1964), very little remains in print. Fewer documents exist regarding his earlier civic and business life. This presents a dilemma for both the librarian and researcher.

Enter Bill Clements, a member of the AHF Board of Directors with a particular interest in digital technology. His generous donation allowed us to begin an appraisal of the scrapbooks. This resulted in the decision to digitize those dating from 1939 through 1964 largely because this date range is in high demand. Until now, we had little to offer researchers, especially those out-of-state. Our main goal is provide researchers access to material that has become too fragile to handle and may not exist elsewhere. Here is a list of scrapbooks on CD.

Stay tuned for news about digitizing the 460 reels of microfilm…