Conducting Archival Research Online Trevor Bond Trevor Bond Cheryl Gunselman Ben DeCrease

2 The Northwest Digital Archives (NWDA) is a regional consortium that provides enhanced access to archival and manuscript materials through a union database of Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids. The union database includes finding aids for more than 2500 archives and manuscripts collections in sixteen different repositories in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Over the next year participating repositories will expand to twenty-nine. The consortium brings together academic (public and private), state, historical societies, and municipal archives. What is NWDA?

3 Some Research Topics From NWDA Finding Aids Arts & Humanities Business, Industry & Labor City & Town Life Colleges & Universities Environment & Natural Resources Ethnic and Religious Groups Government & Politics Home & Family Native Americans Pioneers Sexuality …and more! Inuit mother named Wegaruk, carrying sleeping baby on her back, 1905, by B. B. Dobbs. AWC0043, University of Washington Special Collections.

4 How is NWDA funded? National Endowment for the Humanities—Division of Preservation and Access and National Historical Publications and Records Commission Phase 1 ( ) and Phase 2 ( ) grants from each agency Mexican farm workers pose in camp. Hood River, Oregon, ca Extension Bulletin Illustrations Photograph Collection (P20), Photo No. P20:791. Oregon State University Archives.

5 July 1, 2002 through December 31, 2004: $350,000 NEH grant and $138,000 NHPRC grant Formation of a consortium composed of sixteen archives repositories at thirteen institutions in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon A union database of 2,200+ EAD encoded finding aids was assembled – 2,264 on Dec. 30, 2004 at end of NEH grant period – 2,500 as of August 20, 2005 Phase 1 Grant Overview Birdseye view of Tacoma, Washington, #WAS1120. University of Washington Special Collections.

6 Montana Historical Society University of Montana University of Idaho Whitworth College Washington State University Washington State Archives: Main, Northwest, and Central Washington branches Western Washington University—Center for Pacific Northwest Studies Seattle Municipal Archives University of Washington Pacific Lutheran University Oregon Historical Society Oregon State University: University Archives and Special Collections University of Oregon Phase 1 Grant Participants

7 Phase 2 Grant Overview July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2007: Grants of $300,000 from NEH and $178,000 from NHPRC Thirteen additional repositories added to consortium including three repositories through the NHPRC grant (two from Alaska) At least 1,600 additional finding aids scheduled to be added to the database Development of a sustainable, business plan

8 Alaska State Library (NHPRC) City of Portland Archives Eastern Washington State Historical Society, Museum of Arts and Culture Gonzaga University Idaho State Historical Society Lane Community College Archives (NHPRC) Lewis & Clark College (non grant-funded partner) Seattle Museum of History and Industry University of Alaska – Fairbanks (NHPRC) Washington State Archives – Eastern, Puget Sound and Southwest Regional Branches Whitman College Phase 2 Grant Participants Continental divide at Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana, ca Picket 4858, University of Washington Digital Collections.

Exploring the NWDA Website hosted by WSU nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu

Keyword Searching Searching with Browsing Terms Searching Options

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12 Keyword Search for yakama

13 Results for Keyword Search 10 collection guides Contain the term yakama (using yakima there were 207 results) Repository name Number of times keyword appears in guide Collection summary

14 Hits in context keywords displayed with nearby text

15 Inventory portion of the finding aid Provides detailed box and folder information

16 Printer friendly version of the finding aid. Printer friendly version of the finding aid.

17 Browse by repository selection of Washington State University

18 Results for repository search 692 WSU collection guides retrieved

19 Advanced Searching This search interface allows users to narrow their results by using the multiple search criteria simultaneously: NWDA Institution Keyword This function allows the user to select which part of the finding aid they want the keyword to appear. NWDA Browsing Terms Users can limit their search by material type or subject.

Database Usage Statistics July April 2006

Plans for the Future Organizational sustainability Expansion of numbers of finding aids Expansion of member repositories Addition of digital content Oregon Agricultural School Football Team, P025:2581, Oregon State University Archives.