Depending on usage, the word "archives" may be broadly defined in several ways but most often means records created or accumulated by one person, family, or organization and preserved because of their continuing value.

Since the contents of an archival collection may broadly reflect the varied interests or activities of a particular group or person, understanding what archives are and how they are organized can be an important first step towards locating primary sources in archival collections.

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Finding aids are used by researchers discover and evaluate the potential usefulness of archival collections. They are essentially the archives’ equivalent of a library book's catalog record or table of contents.

Walk through reading a finding aid using an example from the Norwich Archives

Norwich's archivists are happy to work with you to facilitate research in the University Archives, even if you are far away. We can guide you through the use of our digital collections, or we can help you use the collection guides to identify collections and files from our physical collections that could help your research.

Once we've worked together to narrow down your search, we can provide reproduction services (photocopying or scanning) free of charge for requests of a reasonable size. If you think you might be interested in using the Norwich Archives for an upcoming project, please contact us ASAP so that we have ample time to make arrangements for you!