Finding Aids

A finding aid is a detailed description and inventory of an archival collection. Similar to a Table of Contents or Index in a book, an archival finding aid is meant to tell you what is inside a given box or folder of an archival collection, so you can find what you’re looking for more quickly. The box below searches the Archives West database, which hosts finding aids from the University of Idaho as well as other organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Not all of our collections have finding aids written for them, so we suggest using this resource in tandem with Browse Collections and our Digital Collections.

If you find a collection that you’d like to view in person, please send us the collection’s title or a URL link to the collection’s finding aid, and as much detail as possible about which box(es), folder(s), or item(s) you would like to view. In some cases, digital reproductions of materials are available or can become available. For more on what a finding aid is, please see our FAQ page.