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Film Studies Research Guide: Archives & Institutes

A guide to conducting research in Film Studies at Yale University, including key resources and crucial search strategies.

Locate Archives and Collections

When you look for archives, be aware that you will encounter two types of records.

  • Collection records describe whole collections or specific portions of collections of primary source material related to individuals, major events, places, organizations and so forth. These records give bibliographic descriptions of collections.
  • Finding aids (also called collection guides) are detailed inventories that reveal where a particular collection came from, how it's organized, and what it contains.  For instance, a finding aid may tell you that drafts of a particular screenplay are in Box 42, Folder 3, of the Alan Smithee Papers.

 

For an extensive list of reference sources, search Orbis with the following subject headings:

Selected Film Archives and Collections Around the World