The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) <archives.gov> has put 50 million historical records only a few mouse clicks away with the debut of its newest online resource. The Access to Archival Databases (AAD) system <archives.gov/aad> lets Web-surfing genealogists obtain electronic records on a variety of topics, including the Civil War, battlefields, historic sites, immigration, necrology, space flight, naval history and more. AAD’s electronic holdings contain material from more than 30 archival series. These series pertain to specific people, geographic areas, organizations or dates. NARA helps you put these clues in context by providing code lists, explanatory notes from NARA archivists and, for some series or files, related documents. To search AAD, select a series of electronic records. Choose a specific data file within a series and enter search criteria to access relevant records. Once you’ve found relevant results, you can print them or save them as an electronic file.
You won’t find any of NARA’s paper records here. The Archival Research Catalog (ARC) <archives.gov/research/arc> features descriptions (and some digital copies) of the archives’ nationwide holdings in the Washington, DC, area, its regional archives and presidential libraries. Visit NARA’s Web site to learn more about AAD and ARC.
From the August 2003 Family Tree Magazine
