Photograph (above) of 'Miss Lou' from the Louise Bennett Coverley fonds
Requesting archival material by email
Please contact us ahead of your visit by emailing us at archives@mcmaster.ca. In your email remember to include the following:
Example:
When ordering boxes of material, keep the following things in mind:
Requesting archival material in person
It is not necessary to email ahead of time (although it is recommended), but if you are requesting material at our reference desk, keep in mind that it might not be available right away.
Requesting digital copies
You may find archival material that you are interested in, but are unable to visit due to time and budget constraints. In some cases, McMaster can provide digital copies of archival material. When requesting digital copies of archival material, please fill out the form found at the following link: Copy Request Form.
Note: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, copying services have been suspended to ensure the safety of McMaster Library staff. Please consult the COVID-19 page for information about McMaster Library services during COVID-19.
Things to keep in mind when ordering digital copies:
PDFs : $0.30 per page; plus $14 per hour for orders over 50 pages)
Photocopies : $0.30 per page; plus $14 per hour for orders over 50 pages
High Resolution Scans : $15 per image; oversize material, $40 per image
Rare Book Copy on Demand : $40 per volume
The primary database for archival and manuscript material at the William Ready Division is our Archives Database (AtoM).
The database will connect you to hundreds of finding aids, which list the archival and manuscript material in our holdings. For review on reading finding aids, check out the 'How to Read a Finding Aid' page on the Guide to Archival Research Lib Guide.
There are three main tools for navigating the Archives Database:
1. The search bar.
2. Subject headings. These subjects correspond to our major collecting areas, but please note that they do not cover everything!
3. Site Search. This tool indexes our archival and manuscript descriptions (which give broad information about an item, archive, or collection) and authority records (which give information about the creators of our holdings). This allows you to search our whole website — including our finding aids, which list the contents of our archives by box and file.
The Bertrand Russell Archives has several access points. The starting point for any research related to Russell should begin at the home page for the Russell Archives.
The Russell Archives is described in the Archival Database (AtoM), which provides a complete overview of all the material in the archive. This is a good place to start if you want to get an idea of the archive as a whole.
The Bertrand Russell Archives Catalogue Entry and Research System, or BRACERS, is an online database of over 132,000 correspondence records, including much rich annotation and quotations from Bertrand Russell's letters. For an explanation of some of the abbreviations used in BRACERS, check out this link.
These are additional useful links related to the Bertrand Russell Archives:
How to navigate BRACERS
Using the search bar on the The Bertrand Russell Archives Catalogue Entry and Research System, find the record(s) that interest you and then locate their Box and Document Numbers.
In your email to russarch@mcmaster.ca, list the Record Number, Box Number, and Document Numbers for the material you would like to access. For example,
In 1975 McMaster University reached an agreement with the Anglican Diocese of Niagara to collect, describe and preserve the records of the churches in the diocese as well as the non-active diocesan records. Since that time the records of almost all of the churches in the diocese have been deposited at McMaster, amounting to more than 100 parishes. The Diocese covers approximately 3,320 square miles in the province of Ontario. The most northerly towns are Harriston and Mount Forest; the western boundary is Nanticoke; the eastern perimeter is marked by Oakville and the Diocese extends southwards to Fort Erie. The records are on deposit only and remain the property of the Anglican Church.
The records of the churches are organized by city and then by church. Each church entry includes history of the church and a listing of the records we hold: Records of the Diocese and Individual Churches
These are additional useful links related to the Anglican Diocese of Niagara archives: