Searching the Collections

Introduction - Searching Collections

Lyntha Scott Eiler, photographer. *Thelma Melton, rug weaving and loom, Coal Creek area, Galax, Virginia* Carroll County, Virginia 1978. Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project collection. Library of Congress American Folklife Center.

The American Folklife Center (AFC) has numerous collections that pertain to communities and cultural traditions that are located in or connected to National Heritage Areas. These collections may be identified by the Heritage Area name itself (ex: Mississippi Delta), by the name of a specific state or community (ex: San Luis community or Lower Rio Grande), or by cultural heritage keywords relevant to the heritage area (ex: Gullah). Often, a combination of search terms will be needed to find all of the relevant materials (ex: West Virginia AND coal mining). When searching for collection items related to tribal communities within an NHA, be aware that the tribe in question may appear in the catalog record under multiple names.

How Do I Search The AFC Catalog?

First, you will want to identify potential keywords relevant to the National Heritage Area you wish to research. We recommend visiting the website for the NHA you are researching to determine potential search keywords.

To conduct a search of the Library's catalog:

Go to the Library's Catalog search page and click "Advanced Search"
Enter the search term. The Advanced Search page allows up to three keywords. You can set the search to include any of these terms by selecting "OR" between the keywords, or produce narrower search results by selecting "AND."
Add Limits. First select "Location in the Library" and then choose "American Folklife" from the dropdown menu (not "American folklife reference collection," since the latter refers only to books on the reading room shelves). Following this, you can further narrow your search by adding additional limits, such as type of material (film, book, etc.) or date range of publication.

A Note on Searching

If a search for a National Heritage Area did not return any results from the American Folklife search limit, we recommend expanding your search to include other relevant divisions. Common cross-overs include collections in:

Geography and Map
Manuscript
Prints & Photographs
Newspapers and Current Periodicals
Recorded Sound
Moving Image

Only American Folklife collections are available for viewing and research in the American Folklife Center.

Collection Finding Aids

Finding aids provide a gateway to this wealth of Library treasures, helping you discover and navigate through the thousands of boxes and folders that house each collection. These guides provide comprehensive overviews of unique Library resources. Progressively detailed descriptions of a collection's component parts summarize the overall scope of the content, convey details about the individuals and organizations involved, and list box and folder headings. Special service conditions are noted, including terms under which the collection may be accessed or copied. Links are provided to digitized content, when available.

Library of Congress finding aids are XML documents created using the Encoded Archival Description (EAD), an international standard maintained by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists.

View ALL Finding Aids at the Library of Congress

Selected Collection Finding Aids

Selected Finding Aids

A James Delahoussaye collection of Atchafalaya River Basin recordings
Collection of field recordings of interviews with Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana, residents about their lives, traditions, and folkways, recorded from 1974-2010, as well as approximately 635 digital images documenting the same traditions. Interviews were conducted by Alphe James (Jim) Delahoussaye at the residences of the interviewees; at reunions, funerals, and other events; and also on boats and in cars. Digital images of family photographs, dating from the 1920s to the present, were created by his colleague, Darlene Soulé, of many of the same informants. Topics include fresh water fishing and shrimping, other animals and animal husbandry, cooking, medicine, weather, logging, community gatherings, religion and churches, boat building, courtship, marriage, and education. They also reflect on the building of levees in the area and environmental change and the histories of the Couvillier, Bailey, Sauce, Daigle, and Millet families. These residents of the Atchafalaya River Basin, many of whom were elderly at the time of the interviews, recall traditions and events experienced from the 1880s and through the 20th century.
George Korson collection, 1913-1975
Collection of professional papers, field recordings of interviews and songs, a film, and photographs documenting the career and folklife fieldwork of George Korson. George Korson conducted fieldwork in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania and also in Pennsylvania Dutch Country in eastern counties of Pennsylvania. The film dated October 12, 1964 is George Korson (with Charlie McCarthy) interviewed by Franklin D. Coslett. The collection also includes various papers and interviews created by Angus K. Gillespie, including his interviews with folklorist and labor historian Archie Green. Gillespie is the author of a biography of George Korson, titled Folklorist of the coal fields : George Korson's life and work (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1980).
Gwilym Davies Appalachian and Adirondack Mountains collection, 1997-1998
Field recordings of songs and tales from Virginia, West Virginia, and New York State (Appalachian and Adirondack Mountains) made by Gwilym Davies in 1997 and 1998. Performers recorded include Spencer Moore of Chilhowie, VA; Phyllis Marks of Glenville, West Virginia in the company of Helena Triplett of Elkins, West Virginia; Rita Emerson of Glenville, West Virginia; Russell Lehew of Mannington, West Virginia; Dick Richards of Lake Luzerne, Saratoga, New York; Catherine Charron Labier of Whitehall, New York; Jim Cleveland and Colleen Cleveland of Brant Lake, New York.
Markham Starr collection, 2005-2019 finding aid
Collection of 1747 digital files of graphic, moving image, sound recording, and manuscript format documentary works created by Markham Starr, and 4 of Starr's published monographs. The collection primarily documents northeastern United States fisherman and the fishing industry. Some records also document farming and dairy production. The works often focus on individuals and businesses experiencing change due to industrialization, technological advancements, globalization, or government regulation. Many of the moving image, sound recording, and manuscript works feature first-person narratives from interview subjects. The discussions concern their experience as workers and the ways their work has changed during their careers. Some of the records feature detailed discussions and demonstrations of technical processes and skilled techniques. The graphic materials depict individuals at work or in portrait, worksites, and trade tools, machinery, and implements. A majority of the works are associated with one of Starr's larger themed documentary projects, but the sound recordings and some of the moving images are independent works. Starr selected works from his projects to donate to the American Folklife Center. The records are drawn from six themed documentary projects. The bulk of the collection is graphic materials and moving images. All but one of the moving images concerns fishing and fishermen - the outlier is about a Preston, Connecticut farmer and his family dairy farm. Most of the fishing films, including the independent works, are shot in Rhode Island and concern the region's fish industry. The films vary in length from short to feature length. The sound recordings are interviews with Rhode Island trap fishermen; however Starr indicates that these recordings were conducted separately from his In History's Wake: The Last Trap Fishermen of RI project.
Nevada Arts Council "Honest Horses" exhibition collection, 1999-2003
Collection of field recordings of interviews and administrative files generated by and curated by Paula Morin and the Nevada Arts Council for an exhibition titled "Honest Horses: a portrait of the mustang in the Great Basin," circa 2002, and later as a traveling exhibition. Morin photographed wild horses in the Great Basin and interviewed Nevada residents and others about the complex issues regarding wild horses and ecology. Interviewees include ranchers, buckaroos, outfitters, horse trainers, veterinarians, professors of animal science, researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Land Management, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy, the Commission for Preservation of Wild Horses, the National Wild Horse and Burro Center, National Mustang Association, other advocacy organizations, and writers. Most interviewees were from Nevada, others were from California, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Manuscripts include the edited narratives of the interviewees; edited copies of transcripts; biographical profiles; transcripts from speeches; copies of published articles on feral horses and habitat; pamphlets; and correspondence with Paula Morin and with folklorist Andrea Graham of the Nevada Arts Council. Selected narratives were included in Paula Morin's book titled Honest Horses: Wild Horses in the Great Basin (Reno: University of Nevada Press, c2006).

National Heritage Areas: Resources in the American Folklife Center

Ask a Librarian: American Folklife Center

American Folklife Center: Ask a Librarian