Archives

The ECU Archives database runs on AtoM, an open-source application for standards-based archival description and access, and it is the best place to start searching for archival materials. The Archives database consists of descriptions of the Archives’ holdings and includes many different features for browsing and searching through archival materials. New descriptions and, eventually, digitized records (digital objects) are continually being added to the database.  

If you find archival materials in the database that you would like to access, you can make an appointment by sending an email to archives@ecuad.ca. You’ll need to make note of the title and reference code.  

Materials in the Archives database are described with the Rules for Archival Description standard and are organized by these hierarchical levels of description. See Key Archival Concepts for an explanation of the levels of arrangement and description.  

There are three ways to start exploring the Archives database, as discussed below in this guide:

• Browse 
• General Search 
• Advanced Search 

After searching, explore the tips on Navigating Results and Descriptions in the ECU Archives database. 

Browsing the Archives database is a good way to get a sense of the Archives’ holdings, especially if you want to find all the records associated with a particular person or subject.  

You can browse the Archives database by using either the links on the left sidebar of the home page or by clicking the “Browse” button on the header.

The database offers the following options to browse by: 

• Archival descriptions: Browse the top-level descriptions (fonds or collection) in the database. Removing the "top-level descriptions only" filter at the top of the results page will bring up every description in the database, at every level of description.  

• Authority records: Browse the records of people or organizations (corporate bodies) who are creators of the records in the database. Some authority records include a brief description or history of the person/organization and link to the records created by the person/organization. 

• Subjects: Browse the list of subject terms associated with records in the database. Each subject term is a hyperlink that will bring up all records associated with that subject. 

• Places: Browse the list of places/locations associated with records in the database. Each place term is a hyperlink that will bring up all records associated with that location.  

• Digital Objects (coming soon!): Browse thumbnails of all digital objects (digitized materials) in the database, including photographs, audio, and video. Clicking on thumbnail will bring you to the full description, where you can view a photo, listen to a sound recording, or watch a moving image within AtoM.  

The Archives database has a search box in the header that allows for a simple free text search (general search). You can type in a keyword or phrase and can use this search box from any page in the database. The general search will search all types of records (descriptions, authority records, subjects, etc.) and will show the suggested results in a drop-down menu below the search box. You can click one of these suggestions, or you can press your enter key or click the search icon to produce the results for all records in the database that include your search. Use the basic search tips to help refine your searches. 

Search tips:  

• * : wildcard. Use this to find all results for the root of a word. For example: grad* will produce results for graduate, graduates, graduation, etc.

• “xyz” : Quotation marks can be used to create a search for a specific phrase. For example, "exhibition catalogues" will produce only records with that identical phrase. Without quotation marks, the search would produce results where either of those words appear. 

• Boolean searching: AtoM uses Boolean searching in both the search box and the Advanced Search menu. You can spell out the operators or use the symbols, but they cannot be combined in the same search. 

  • AND (&&) : find results that contain both search terms  

  • OR (||): find results that contain one or the other search terms 

  • NOT (!): find results for one term but not the term following the NOT/! operator. 

For example: 

• Searching for programs from graduation ceremonies: grad* && program*  
  • Results include descriptions that contain both these terms 
• Searching for records that include handbills or posters: handbill* OR poster* 
  • Results include any descriptions that include handbill* or poster*, including records where only one term appears.  

Advanced Search provides more functions to refine your search in the Archives database. Access the Advanced Search page by clicking the search box on the top menu and then the drop-down link that appears. Use the options in the Advanced Search page to create your search and then click "Search" at the bottom of the page to refine the results. Options can all be combined into the same search or used separately.  

Options available in the Advanced Search include: 

• Find results with: Use this free text search to find keywords and phrases; you can select which fields to narrow down the search, and/or use the "add new criteria" button to select a Boolean operator to develop a more complex search.  

For example, if you were looking for posters that were created by anyone except the Emily Carr Students’ Union, your search could look like this:   

• Limit results to Top-level description: Select a top-level description if you want to have results only at the level of fonds or collection.  

• Filter results by:  
  • Level of description: Use to define whether you are trying to find individual items, top-level descriptions, etc.  
  • Digital object available: Use to define whether or not you are looking for records that have associated digitized material. 

  • Finding aid: Use to define whether you want the results to have an associated finding aid. Most records will not have this as records are described in the database. 

  • Copyright status: Use to narrow down your search to records that have a defined copyright status (public domain; under copyright; unknown). 

• General material designation: Use to define the type of archival materials that you would like to find. These correspond to the Rules for Archival Description. These are the most common in the ECU Archives and the most likely for your searches: 

  • Textual record: All types of written records/documents, including handwritten, published, or typed documents, cards, letters, notebooks, etc.  
  • Photograph: All types of photographs and photographic material, including negatives, slides, and transparencies. 
  • Graphic material: Pictures, drawings, sketches, watercolours, prints, collages, paintings, posters, and other two-dimensional graphic works other than photographs.  
  • Sound recording: All types and formats of audio (digital or analog).
  • Moving images: All types and formats of video (digital or analog). 

These can be toggled to apply to either top-level descriptions or all descriptions.  

• Filter by date range: Include a date range in the YYYY-MM-DD format if you want to refine your search results to a particular time. Use "overlapping" to broaden your results to include any records with date ranges that touch or overlap with your date range. 

For example, if you wanted to find all records for item-level photographs in the public domain, with a digital object, and created approximately between 1925 and 1950, your search could look like this: 

See Navigating Results and Descriptions in the ECU Archives database for more tips!