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Using Manuscritps & Archives  

What are Finding Aids?

A finding aid a description of records that gives the repository physical and intellectual control over the materials and that assists users to gain access to and understand the materials. Finding aids include a wide range of formats, including card indexes, calendars, guides, inventories, shelf and container lists, and registers. A finding aid is also a single document that places the materials in context by consolidating information about the collection, such as acquisition, processing, provenance (including administrative history or biographical note), scope of the collection (including size, subjects, media, organization, and arrangement), and an inventory of the series and the folders.

The most common type of finding aid is an inventory. The inventory is (also known as a register) is the basic archival finding aid. An inventory is typically made up of seven sections:

  • Preface – explains the institution’s policies on access and restrictions

  • Introduction – provides an overview of the collection, manuscript group, record group, or personal papers

  • Biographical sketch or agency history – history of the person or entity during the period the collection covers

  • Scope and content note – discusses in narrative form the strengths, weaknesses, and structure of the collection. Scope and content usually has the following components: types of materials, dates, structure (series and sub-series), and significant subjects

  • Administrative Information – refers to the use of records, such as the physical condition, any restrictions based on condition, legal or by donor

  • Colophon – provides information about the processors of the collection and authors of the finding aid, the condition of the collection, how the collection existed in other conditions prior to arriving (provenance note), which addition of the finding aid and revisions are being done since the original finding aid creation, what deaccessioning and weeding was done and why

  • Annotations—may refer to new insights gathered from researchers, relationships between records within the collection and with other collections or records

  • Series description – lists each series in order and reviews the elements found within each. It is defined as a group of records based on a file system (analog or digital) or maintained as a unit because the records result from the same function or activity. These records are related by some relationship based on form, type, use or accumulation

  • Sub-Series description – a unit within a series that consists of files or record units, within which individual documents or items are organized. For example, a correspondence series may have a sub-series related to a particular topic

  • Container listing – contains detailed information on the filing order and the contents of the collection, usually at the subseries or file unit level

  • Index or item listing – an ordered list of headings that points to relevant information in materials that are organized in a different order

Where to find archival finding aids

What is contained in the holdings of YSU’s Archives and Special Collections?

Archival Holdings
  • Approximately 3,000 cubic feet of archival materials, including:
    • Official University Records such as:
      • Records of Administrative Units (Board of Trustees, Office of the President, Vice Presidents, Provost, Counsel, etc.)
      • College and Department Records
      • Academic Senate Records
      • Alumni and Faculty/Staff Directories
      • Course Catalogs and Schedules of Classes
      • Faculty Papers and Publications
      • Approximately 5,000 historic photographs, negatives, and slides

    • A complete set of yearbooks (including the Technician, Wye-Collegian, the Beacon, and the Neon)

    • Approximately 1,500 Oral Histories

    • Approximately1,300 These and Dissertations

    • Hundreds of campus maps and architectural drawings

    • A complete run of the Jambar


  • Approximately 300 cubic feet of manuscripts, including:
    • The Michael J. Kirwan Collection (Former Youngstown Congressman)

    • The Joseph L. Heffernan papers (Former Mayor of Youngstown)

    • The Edward J. DeBartolo Collection (Former Youngstown real estate developer)

    • Lester L. Dickson Locomotive Collection

    • Sacred Landmarks Archives

    • Steel Valley Voices: An Ethnic Heritage Community Archive


Special Collections Holdings