Search By Collection

by Julie Hill

Posted on September 14, 2010

Archives recently added new functionality that allows members to search historical records by collection. Searching by collection is an extremely helpful way to narrow your search, and get more relevant results.

To search for records in Archives.com by collection:

  • Log in to Archives.com and click the "Search" tab.
  • Select the record type you would like to search from the "Select an Archive" drop-down menu.
  • Look for the "Select a Collection" drop-down menu that appears beneath "Select an Archive" (for most record types).
  • Select the collection you'd like to search from this list.

Archives_searchbycollection9.14.10.png When you select a collection, our search engine will only search for results matching your search criteria within that subset of records. This gives you a lot more flexibility in the way you search! For example, you can search by surname only, to see all records containing that surname in a particular collection - and you'll be less likely to be overwhelmed by too many results.

This can also be helpful if you have an ancestor with a common name. By limiting your search to one collection, you won't find as many "John Smiths" as you would when searching the entire Archives.com database.

This enhancement is part of Archives.com's continued effort to make family history simple. Give "search by collection" a try, and let us know how it helps you!

We'd love to hear your success stories and feedback at Feedback AT Archives.com.

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