Research Tools

Finding aids, research guides, and digital resources for rare books and manuscripts are available online. Rare books, as well as selected literary manuscript collections, located in Archives and Special Collections can be found in the University Libraries` online catalog, CardCat, or through the Libraries' Early Books and Newspaper Finder.

Directions on how to use CardCat to find Archives and Special Collections materials:

1. Search the Library Catalog (CardCat) using Advanced Search.

To find books on a specific subject or topic, search using Subject, and limit your location to Archives and Special Collections.  For example, for books on the Ku Klux Klan, do a subject search for "Ku Klux Klan", then limit location to "Archives and Special Collections."

To find books from a specific collection, do a series search. Example: for historic childrens books, try a series search for "Historic Children's Book Collection."

2. Write down the library location and call number.

Every book has a unique call number, which is its address on the shelf. An example of a book from the subject search of "Ku Klux Klan" that can be found in the Archives and Special Collections is HS2330.K63 M38 2009.

3. If the book is located in Archives and Special Collections, come to Archives and Special Collections in the Alexander M. Bracken Library Room 210, with the book call number, title, and author.