History of Dartmouth College: Finding Aids

A finding aid is a guide to the contents of a collection.

Finding aids generally provide an overview of the collection, a description of the subset of the collection (called a series) and a box or file listing describing the contents of the collection in detail.

Many of Rauner's collections have finding aids that are on-line, but many are only available in paper form in the Reading Room. We are working to get all of our guides on-line.

Keep in mind that not all of Rauner's collections are represented in the catalog. If you cannot find what you are looking for, email Peter Carini or Rauner Reference for assistance.

Finding Aids

Finding aids are the best resource for finding materials in boxed collections. They provide an overview of the collection, and depending on the level to which the collection has been process, they will also provide a description of the materials in each box. For fully processed collections the finding aid will provide a list of the folder titles in each box.

Library Catalog

The catalog is a good place to search for books, serials, broadsides and some still image materials

(It is recommended to start with a keyword search limited to Rauner)