Hi!

I can't speak to the Canadian archives, but the U.S. National Archives is
one of the more "user-friendly" bits of the government. Anyone can access
the National Archives - you don't need any credentials or academic
affiliations. It's actually very easy to do. What are you interested in? I
have a list of names of archivists who deal with civil information and
military information. There are three branches of the National Archives in
Washington, D.C., as well as a number of Federal Records Centers through-out
the country. The easiest way to gain access is, of course, call ahead and
talk to the particular archivist in the branch you need. When I go, I
usually access Record Group 26 which is the Records of the Coast Guard and
its predecessors. Angie VanderReedt is the archivist who handles civil
records at the main branch in downtown DC. Once you call and tell them what
you're after, make an appointment and ask them to PULL THE RECORDS. This is
important because you'll end up waiting awhile if you don't request the
records pulled at least the day before. Go to the downtown branch of the
archives and enter in the BACk of the building - across from the Navy
Memorial. Tell the guards at the desk you need a "Researchers card." They'll
direct you down to an office on the first floor where you fill out a form
and they'll give you a card. The main research room (everything but
microfilm) is where you can get your records (I want to say the 5th floor,
but I'm not entirely sure - the guards will let you know). Photography is
kept at the new facility in College Park, Maryland. There's a free shuttle
bus that goes out there once or twice an hour until closing time. There's
another facility out in Suitland (also a bus) that has holdings that include
all the old patent records that are no longer at the patent office in
Crystal City. Maps, ship plans, and other cartographic are also at College
Park. Oh, and if you're on the Metro - the stop for the archives is
"ARCHIVES/NAVY MEMORIAL" and when you come up out of the Metro - just walk
across the street and that's the entrance you need for all research. If
you'd like to e-mail me directly and let me know what it is you're looking
for, I could probably hook you up with the correct archivist over there. As
a rule, they're all really nice and helpful.  :)

Good luck!  Amy Marshall

At 07:13 AM 5/28/96 -0600, you wrote:
>
>Would any archives people out there like to respond the attached inquiry
>concerning access to the Metro Toronto and National archives?
>
>Chris J.-Andersen ([log in to unmask])
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 26 May 96 21:41:19 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [log in to unmask]
>To: HOn30 Mail Car <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: "The Archivist" and Archives in General
>
><snip...> Now a question: how does a member of the general public, without
>academic status, gain access to the National Archives and other archives?
>Are search and request services available on the net for the Canadian
>archives?  A month or two ago, there was some talk of access to the US
>Library of Congress on the net - is there anything similar for Canadians?
>Would anyone here know how I would go about getting into the Metro Toronto
>archives?  Any information concerning procedures, fees, rules for copying
>materials, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks -
>Jon Piasecki
>versed @ ican.ca
>