The Library of Congress embarked upon the earliest attempt to compile a description of all manuscript collections in the United States. The project was based upon collection descriptions submitted by individual repositories. Published from 1959 to 1993, the resulting 29 volumes of the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) contain descriptions of approximately 72,300 collections located in 1406 different repositories. There are printed indices for subjects, geographic place names, and personal, family, and corporate names.

A fully searchable electronic form of NUCMC, including records as they are newly entered, is available through ArchivesUSA. Some percentage of NUCMC records are also included in the RLG Union Catalog. Those unable to search either may access NUCMC records through a free website created by NUCMC:

Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520-8240

mssa.assist@yale.edu

All contents copyright ©2000, Manuscripts and Archives,
Yale University Library. All rights reserved.
URL: http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/