FEATURE - USING ARCHIVES

More from Gwen about using Archives.

History Detectives would be lost without archives.

The thing that's distinctive about an archive is that it has primary sources; that is, things that have been written or published at the time.

In contrast, a library contains mostly secondary sources.

So if you, for instance, wanted to do a study about the Vietnam War, wanted to find letters home from soldiers in combat, or White House discussions about policy, then you'd go to an archive.

Here are some helpful tips: old documents can be irreparably harmed by the light of photocopiers.

Be prepared to take extensive notes yourself.

Many archives have gloves to wear when you're handling old records.

That's because the natural oils in a person's hand might do damage to documents or photographs.

But the practice is not at all standardized.

In fact, some archivists believe that gloves do more harm than good.

Before you head off to any archive, be forewarned: research is very time-consuming and often tedious.

It can sometimes feel like a dead-end.

Perhaps the most important advice: don't give up too easily.