At this website. . .

The Five College Guide to Archival Sources in the Pioneer Valley is intended to help you make use of the special primary materials available in local archives. That said, you should keep in mind that many primary sources are available in printed, published form on the shelves of the Five-College libraries and through interlibrary loan; also available in libraries are large amounts of material, published and unpublished, on mirofilm or microfiche. But the materials available in local archives, including the archives and special collections of the five campuses, are unique. Unedited and unpublished, often in manuscript form, these materials-letters, business ledgers, diaries, private collections of newspaper clippings, and more-offer intimate glimpses into the lives and thoughts of those who left them behind. Generally, they are available no where else. They are often underexplored and untapped as resources for history. But they are fully accessible to researchers who know how to use them, and we hope this introduction will help you use this guide, and our local archives, to full advantage.

This introduction includes four sections. Sources of the Past illustrates the special nature of archival materials and what we can learn from them, drawing on some specific materials found in local collections. Searching for Sources offers a general introduction to this guide and how to use it. Nailing Down Your Topic gives practical advice on exploring research possibilities-and focusing your investigation. Into the Archives guides your next step, offering tips on how to make the most of your time in the archives: how to talk with archivists (the people who know most about the collections); how to make best use of resource materials you find there; how to take good notes on archival material; how to move from note-taking to original scholarship of your own.

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