Research Tools

The Special Collections Research Center provides various access tools that allow researchers to locate useful materials.  Each of the resources below offers a different method of locating items in our collections:

• Selected collections held in the Special Collections and University Archives in a variety of broad topical areas. This list is not comprehensive and is instead meant to serve as a rough indicator of the scope, breadth, and depth of collections.
  
  

• A alphabetical list of all finding aids to collections by title.  Links to finding aids or catalog records are included when available.
  

• Many Special Collections items (including books, maps, ephemera, graphics, and some collections) have records in the ALADIN catalog. To limit your Aladin search to items housed in Special Collections, use the "More Limits" button found on the right side of the page and choose "GW: GELMAN Special Collections" as the location field.  You can use the More Limits button to limit the item type to Archive/Manuscript, Map, Mixed Material/Collection, etc. You can also use terms like diaries, personal narratives, speeches, archives, or interviews when searching by keyword or subject heading.
  
  

• The Special Collections Research Center has created a number of bibliographies to assist researchers interested in a specific topic or collection.

• ArchiveGrid is a database that contains catalog records and finding aids for archival collections at thousands of archival repositories. Enter your search terms, then limit by location to George Washington University. (Please note: if you are off campus, you must access this database by clicking on "Articles and Databases" on the library homepage and then logging in to ALADIN.)
  
  

• Gelman Library archivists and librarians have created research guides on over a hundred topics, including everything from Middle East Studies to Banking.  Many of the guides include information about primary sources and collections located in the Special Collections Research Center.
  

Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia

• The Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia is the go-to source for online, easily accessible information about George Washington University and the Foggy Bottom community, including photographs, factual information, transcribed primary source materials, and more!

• The Special Collections Research Center has several digitized collections now available online.

Useful Information