Exploration 8: Three Strategies for Searching in American Memory, Part 1

Understanding Goal Understanding Goal

Searching with different key words in multiple places is essential.

Investigative Question Investigative Question

In what ways can American Memory be searched?

Patron Actions:

  1. Search in American Memory to find primary source items with a bibliographic record. Experiment with three search strategies:
    1. Across all collections.
    2. Limit the collections through the Browse page.
    3. Search within a collection.
  2. Visit Collection Home pages to view copyright and other information for the items in that collection. Read Special Presentations or Special Features and Collection Connections to learn more about the topic.
  3. Reflect after the American Memory search practice and answer these questions:
    • Which of the three searches offers a full text search in some collections?
    • Which search helps to identify collections of interest? Why?
    • Which search strategy was most effective for the topic researched?

Search the American Memory Collections Using Three Different Strategies

Canadian scenes. Stacks of boxes and trunks

"Canadian scenes. Stacks of boxes and trunks" Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

Canadian scenes. Stacks of boxes and trunks

Trunks piled up in Grand Central Station, New York  Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, George Grantham Bain Collection

Baseball player Heathcote and trainer Andy Lotshaw holding Cubs jerseys in a locker room

"Baseball player Heathcote and trainer Andy Lotshaw holding Cubs jerseys in a locker room" Library of Congress, American Memory: Chicago Daily News, Inc., photographer