Special Collections
Location: Fairchild-Martindale Library, 3rd floor North, Room 625
(until Linderman renovation is complete)
Hours: Monday - Friday
1 - 5 p.m.
Other times by appointment.
Lois Fischer Black, Curator
(610) 758-5185
Email: lob206@lehigh.edu
Ilhan Citak, Archives and Special Collections Librarian
(610) 758-4506
Email: ilc4@lehigh.edu
Getting Background Information
Search quickly and efficiently!
Often you find that you need to have more information about your topic before you can begin to search for archival materials. You may want to become familiar with basic facts such as dates, locations, birthplace, etc. These facts can make your search quicker and more efficient.
References in a reading can help you
find more resources
Print reference books
A good place to begin is with the reference books available at Lehigh’s libraries. Using reference books such as biographical dictionaries and specialized encyclopedias can quickly provide information that will make your search more efficient. Reference librarians can direct you to many of these print sources.Electronic reference books
Many reference sources are also available electronically. Two major E-Reference books collections are: XRefer and Oxford Reference OnlineBibilographies and reference lists
You may find the name of a manuscript or archive collection because of coming across it in a bibliographic reference or footnote in your reading.
Of course, you may be hoping that there is a wonderful collection of manuscripts out there somewhere in the world of archives, just waiting for you to discover them! And you may be right!
Let’s continue to discover how you can find just what you need for that perfect research paper!
Next: library catalogs