Special Collections
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Finding Aids

Finding Aids are guides to collections held by archives and manuscript repositories, libraries, and museums. They are more detailed than box lists, and are usually produced for collections that are considered "processed." Finding aids provide a scope and content note that gives a detailed description of collections and describe their organization. Often, finding aids include a historical or biographical note about the subject of the collection. Finding aids also list related resources that might be useful to researchers. A processed collection is divided into Series, which are organizationally logical groupings of materials. Finding aids describe each series, and the box list section of the finding aid will detail the contents of the series, often to the folder level.

Finding Aids and Box Lists for the collections held in the Richardson Collections and the USD Archives are available in binders in the Special Collections Reference Room and at the I. D. Weeks reference desk. Finding aids are arranged alphabetically by title of the collection. 

Finding Aids Available on-line:

Finding Aids and brief guides are available for selected collections. New Finding Aids are being created regularly and will be posted as they become available. The finding aids posted as Microsoft Word documents and in HTML format.  If you do not see a finding aid that you are seeking, or have questions about the use of Finding Aids, please contact us at speccoll@usd.edu.

Finding Aids for the Richardson Collections

Finding Aids for the University of South Dakota Archives


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Last Modified: October 21, 2002
Visitor # 6,495th since 07/01/00
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The University of South Dakota
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