Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

=== Pennsylvania Counties === To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Pennsylvania counties, use the county archive inventories produced around 1940 by the Historical Records Survey. The Family History Library has copies of 17 published inventories and 40 unpublished inventories. See: ''Inventory of the County Archives of Pennsylvania: Records of the Works Project Administration, Pennsylvania Historical Writer's Project''. Historical Records Survey. (On 5 Family History Library films beginning with [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=filmhitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&filmno=1014724 1014724].) These records contain material on many counties that did not publish an inventory. A more current list is: ''County Records Survey, 1985-1986 [of Pennsylvania].'' [Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]: Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Division of Archives and Manuscripts, 1986. ([http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=623270&disp=County+records+survey%2C+1985%2D1986+%5B%20%20&columns=*,0,0 On 7 Family History Library fiche 6333952].) Philadelphia County is not included, but Pittsburgh city is. A very helpful guide is Sylvester K. Stevens and Donald H. Kent, eds., ''County Government and Archives in Pennsylvania'' (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1947; [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=248877&disp=County+government+and+archives+in+Pennsy%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Family History Library book 974.8 N2s; film 1320887 item 10)]. This guide describes the records kept by the county, the information they contain, when most began, and important history of their development. Also helpful though dated is Irwin Richman, ''Historical Manuscript Depositories in Pennsylvania'' (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1965; [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=176489&disp=Historical+manuscript+depositories+in+Pe%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Family History Library book 974.8 H23r]). It provides a detailed description of the manuscripts in most libraries and archives in Pennsylvania in 1965. A useful directory of eastern Pennsylvania libraries is ''Directory of Libraries and Information Sources in the Philadelphia Area ''(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Special Libraries Association, Philadelphia Chapter, 1977; [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&callno=974.811+J54s Family History Library book 974.811 J54s; film 1036557 item 9).]  

=== USGenWeb  ===