Anatomy of a Request

If you’re prepping for summer research and in need of remote archival materials, submitting a Sourcery request is a great way to get your hands on them! Submitting a request might seem daunting at first, but we’ve prepared this simple guide with step-by-step instructions to help you along the way!

Materials to have ready

There are a few things you’ll want to have on hand before you begin filling out your request.

➡️ Repository information. You’ll need information about the holding institution to enable your Sourcerer to schedule their appointment and request the material to scan. Specific information you’ll want to provide about the repository is as follows:

➡️ A link to the repository’s webpage with details for research visitors. This will differ among institutions, but generally includes their hours of operation, holiday closings, address, and contact information.

➡️ A link to any information pages with details on how to request materials, if available.

➡️ Any insider knowledge you might have about the institution. If you have insider knowledge that your Sourcerer might find useful, definitely include it in your request details.

➡️ Details about your material. You’ll want specific information about your material to provide your Sourcerer to ensure they have enough information to create the request and scan the correct materials.

Next, let’s take a closer look at each question/field in the request process.

Item location

You’ll need to provide the Sourcerer with the specific repository your materials are housed in.

You will see the available locations as pins on the map.

➡️ Type in the name of the institution.

➡️ Select the right institution from the list and confirm the address is correct. Then click “Continue”

Request details

Now it’s time to provide your Sourcerer specific details about the materials themselves.

➡️ Item type: Select the type of material you want scanned.

Folder: A folder is just one single folder within what is likely a larger collection.

Multiple folders: Multiple folder requests are exactly how it sounds; a request that includes multiple folders from the collection. These folders can come from the same box or different boxes.

Volume: A “volume” is a bound collection of pages and can include books, manuscripts, scrapbooks, and more

Item: An item request is for a single item with its own call number or specific archival location.

Microform: Microform requests can include microfilm or microfiche.

➡️ Title, or description of what you want to be scanned: information about the content of the material; in most cases a folder name is perfectly acceptable.

➡️ What type of materials do you anticipate?: more technical information about the actual physical format of the documents. Could be letters, photographs, ephemera, maps, and so on.

➡️ General description: information on the documents themselves, such as any known preservation issues, information on languages, or other details the Sourcerer might find useful.

Location information

This section is dedicated to providing your Sourcerer more information on the location of your materials within their holding institution.

➡️ Link to library record: Include a direct link to the finding aid or description the holding institution provides for the materials you would like scanned. This ensures that your Sourcerer uses the same exact information as the archive. Please note this is a required field.

➡️ Call Number: Different institutions use different terms. Item ID, Identifier, and Reference Number are common alternatives.

➡️ Collection: Input the full title of the collection. You can usually find this at the top of the finding aid. Include dates when provided.

➡️ Series & sub-series:Your item(s) may or may not be part of a larger collection with a series or subseries. You can leave these fields blank if they do not apply to your request.

➡️ Box & folder: these will usually be numbers (ex. Box 4 folder 8) but sometimes will have letters, depending on the institution (ex: Box 7 folder EL8). This should be available on the finding aid as well.

Size of request

How many scans do you want?

This section lets you set the maximum amount you will be charged, by letting you authorize the maximum number of scans returned to you.

You may not know how many items will be in a folder, or the number of pages in a volume. If you’re not familiar with the collection then the repository’s archivist may be able to guide you. You can also select the “Scan All Content” box which will instruct the Sourcerer to scan all pages in a manuscript or folder up to the maximum 400 scans.

Additional information

Specifics on the holding institution and any additional contextual information.

This section is dedicated to providing your Sourcerer more information on the holding institution of your requested materials.

➡️ Is there a specific building, room name, or number?: This is especially important for institutions with multiple libraries and reading rooms. Sometimes this information can be found in the finding aid or catalog record.

➡️ Visitor Instructions: Please provide a URL with visitor instructions for the repository.

➡️ Is an appointment required to view these materials?: check the repository’s website to see if it requires an appointment to view the material, this should be located in an about page.

➡️ How should your Sourcerer request the appointment?: provide a URL or instructions for how the Sourcerer should request the material.

➡️ Any additional information to help locate or scan these materials? This is your opportunity to tell your Sourcerer any insights you have from communicating with the archive, perhaps providing the name of the archivist advising you.

➡️ References: If you have one, an existing reference may help the Sourcerer if they discuss your request with the archive. It may help the archivist locate the materials, or prompt them to recommend other collections that your Sourcerer can relay to you.

That’s all, folks! Once you’ve filled out all of the necessary information, confirm the request is accurate and submit . You’ll be charged a $25 retrieval fee upon request submission and the $0.30 /scan returned upon request completion.

📝 View the full guide with examples & more information via our Researcher Handbook: https://go.sourceryapp.org/redirect/researcher-handbook