Improved Clarke online finding aids enhance your research experience!

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As of Monday, February 6th researchers using the Clarke’s online finding aids will experience a new look and improved, expanded functionality. The changes result from a new system, ArcLight, at the University of Michigan (UM), which hosts our online finding aids.  Researchers will now enjoy multiple search options, the option to download and print a PDF of each finding aid, links to related or suggested collections of potential interest, and easier access to the finding aids at UM Libraries and Archives of Michigan. To learn more read below.

The changes result from a new system, ArcLight, at the University of Michigan (UM), which hosts our online finding aids. ArcLight, an open-source system many academic archives and libraries use to host their finding aids, allows improved functionality and linking between digital finding aids and links to digitized primary source collections. The Clarke is the one of two non-UM partner institution whose finding aids are on the UM site https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/repositories, the other being the Archives of Michigan. UM partners include: the Bentley Historical Library, Special Collections, William L. Clements Library, and the History of Art Visual Resources Collection. Over 7,000 finding aids are available to researchers on the site. 

Researchers may locate finding aids through Google searches, from the UM finding aids website, or by click on the online access and finding aid links in the Clarke catalog.

New and enhanced options include multiple search options, links to related or suggested collections of potential interest, the option to download and print a PDF of each finding aid, and access to easily search the finding aids at UM Libraries. Researchers may search within one collection, within all the finding aids of one institution, or in all the finding aids of the partner institutions. Other search options include: keyword, phrases, facets to narrow or expand your search,  such as limiting your search to digital resources,  wildcard searches such as watch* or wom?n, and the use of Boolean Operators And, Or, and Not. At the bottom of each finding aid page, click on “How to use this site” https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/help for examples and explanations.

To see the Box and Folder Listing simply click on the hot link under NAVIGATE THE COLLECTION once you are in a finding aid. There are helpful links to download a PDF of the finding aid, to learn more about the repository, in person visits, and how to request materials and order reproductions.

Implementation and customization of ArcLight to meet the needs of researchers and archivists took over a year of careful thought, effort, and the collaboration of colleagues at the partner institutions. I am proud to have participated in this huge effort to help our researchers, enhance our finding aids, and expand our pool of global researchers. And I'm the person who initially suggested that the UM host other archival institutions' finding aids. If you have questions about how to research within the system or notice links that do not work correctly, please contact me at marian.matyn@cmich.edu.

 

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