Archives Search Tips for Claims Researchers S. Hurford and J. Wilhelm 2010

2 Researching INAC Records at LAC Online Search Tools: 1.Archives Search ( most up-to-date) Main search tool for archival documents Keyword search to identify records. If record has been digitized, it will be attached to the record’s description and visible from the website. 2.Databases (no longer being updated) Red and Black Series Orders in Council (Up to 1910) Treaties, Surrenders and Agreements General Inventory You can view the files you locate online through these databases.

Archives Search vs. General Inventory - Archives Search (MIKAN) is replacing ArchiviaNet Database -General Inventory is being phased out and is no longer updated -Archives Search is LAC’s main search database 3

Viewing the Inventory on Archives Search How to view all series: Keyword: R216 or RG10 or RG22 AND Keyword (eg: correspondence) Set “hierarchical level” search limiter to “series” How to view all accessions: Keyword: R216 or RG10 or RG22 AND Keyword (eg: River Desert) Set “hierarchical level” search limiter to “accessions” 4

Digital Copies in Archives Search Archives Search contains digital copies of: Black Series Red Series School Series Treaties and Surrenders Future plans for digitization of the following records: HQ Treaty Annuity Paylists ( up to 1909) Indexes to HQ records 5

6 Understanding Search Limiters Search limiters: – Allow the search to identify fonds, series, sub-series, files or items. –Allow searches by date –Allow searches by finding aid –Allow combinations (eg: agency name + date + FA number) Note: You cannot search within the list of results returned except by using the search limiters. To do this, press the back button on your web browser and add an additional keyword. Searching online in Archives Search:

7 Understanding Search Limiters Search filters: –Allow you to refine your search results – Allow you to see how many of the items are available online. –Allow you to filter out results at different levels (eg: are descriptions of series, not files) –Allow you to see results from the decade of interest (1900s only) Searching online in Archives Search:

8 Keyword Search Search by keyword to identify files. Keywords: –Agency name –Band name –A person’s name –Place name –Type of file (eg: correspondence, central registry, census, treaty) –Allow combinations (eg: agency name + type of file) Searching online in Archives Search:

9 Searching by File Number Need to understand File Classification Systems (see FA10-376) Pre-confederation: letterbooks, correspondence, etc. Red Series and Black Series ( ) Subject-based registry systems: –Thousand Series ( ) –First Series ( ) –School Files Series ( ) Modified duplex numeric system ( ) Block Numeric System (mid-1980s onward)

10 Searching by File Number Use the search limiter “Archival Reference Number” and “R216” or “RG10”, or “RG22” as keywords AND Use search limiter “file number” Type in file number in one of the following formats: 987/31? 987/3-11-? (this will locate all files with the root 987/3-11-, eg: 987/ ) 987/ Warning: This file number search will not retrieve the file: 987/3-11?

Finding Aids - Finding Aid = list of files LAC has related to a descriptive record (fonds, sous-fonds, series, sub-series, or accession). - There is often more than one Finding Aid for a descriptive record. 11

Understanding File Level Descriptions An individual file can only be found in Archives Search if the finding aid it is listed in is entered into the database. Not all finding aids are in database. Files within accessions will not have file level descriptions. 12

Lower Level Item Links Trust lower level item links list everything attached to a descriptive record when: - All finding aids listed under the Finding Aid field are “Electronic” and there are lower level items attached. - No finding aid is listed as “ Paper” or “Severed” or “Restricted”. 13

Lower Level Item Links DO NOT trust lower level item links list everything attached to a descriptive record when: Finding aids are listed that are indicated as “Paper”; Finding aids are listed as “Severed”; Finding aids are listed where there is no indication of the medium. 14

Location of Files Look at field “Other Accession no.” for four letter location code: VFRC = Vancouver HFRC = Halifax WFRC = Winnipeg OFRC or no location reference = Records are located in Ottawa EFRC = Vancouver (formerly located in Edmonton) 15

Location of Files: example 16

Upper Limit Search Returns There is no longer an upper search limit of 1000 in Archives Search See contents of FA as an example You can use search limiters to split your display results into parts. Sort search by Date Sort search by items online vs. items not online Note: If you re-create the search later, you can re- create the same list of results using these limiters. 17

Citing INAC Files found in LAC’s Collection: Researchers should cite both archival reference number (R216) AND former archival reference number (RG10). Archival Reference Number R E (Former archival reference number RG10-C-IV-6 ) However, you cannot see the R number within the descriptions for accessions, so sometimes it is necessary to use the former archival reference number. 18

Citing INAC Files found in LAC’s Collection: Examples of citations: To cite MIKAN (a file in the permanent collection): R E (RG 10), Red Series, Volume 3195, file number 492,863, reel C To cite MIKAN (an accession): RG10-C-IV-6, BAN , box 1, file number xxxx OR RG10-C-IV-6, Accession /173 GAD, box 1, file number xxxx 19

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