San Antonio Archival Collections
Best Bet for Information on Local Archives
- San Antonio Regional Archives: Local and Area RepositoriesSARA provides "a comprehensive list of San Antonio archives and special collections." The website includes contact information and a brief description of the collection. Also links to a two-page PDF brochure.
Selective List of Archives in San Antonio
These archives are used frequently by scholars at St. Mary's University.
- Bexar County Historical Commission"The Commission initiates actions and cooperates with state and local programs to encourage awareness of historic preservation and foster appreciation of Bexar County's historical significance." Include links to local archival resources.
- City of San Antonio: Municipal Archives and RecordsDigital collections and collection inventories from the Municipal Archives of the City of San Antonio. Includes links and finding aids.
- Daughters of the Republic of Texas LibraryLibrary, located in the Alamo historical complex, that includes book and archival collections focusing on Texas history. The DRT Library website includes an overview of their collections and guidelines for use of the library.
- National Archives Marianist Province of the United StatesNational archives of the Society of Mary (Marianist) located near St. Mary's University. Facebook page with photos and contact information.
- San Antonio Public Library: Texana and Genealogy DepartmentSAPL's Texana and Genealogy Department's Special Collections focuses on resources for San Antonio and Texas historical research.
- UTSA Libraries Special CollectionsArchival collections available from the University of Texas at San Antonio Library. Includes digitized collections online, details about visiting the archive, finding aids, and more. Popular collections include San Antonio Light and San Antonio Express News photographs, voting information, oral histories, and other important local history collections.
Austin Archival Collections
Austin is a great place to visit for archival research. The institutions listed below are the main archival centers in Austin.
- Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas AustinA unit of the University of Texas Libraries, the Benson collection "is a specialized research library focusing on materials from and about Latin America, and on materials relating to Latinos in the United States." Site includes online finding aids and collection descriptions.
- Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas AustinResearch center at focusing on Texas and US history. Some key resources include the Collections on Texas History, Congressional and Political History, Southern History, Civil Rights and Social Justice, and Photography.
- Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas Austin"The Harry Ransom Center advances the study of the arts and humanities by acquiring, preserving, and making accessible original cultural materials. Offers extensive collections of rare books, manuscripts, photography, film, art, and the performing arts."
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum"The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum was established to preserve and make available for research the papers and memorabilia of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. In addition, the Library actively collects the papers of Johnson's contemporaries and conducts an oral history program designed to supplement the written record."
- Texas State Library and Archives Commission"The Texas State Archives preserves and documents ... the official records of Texas government, as well as other significant historical resources. The State Archives includes archival government records dating back to the 18th century, as well as newspapers, journals, books, manuscripts, photographs, historical maps, and other historical resources."
Online Texas Archives
Note: Several sources listed in the United States box are also relevant to Texas history researchers.
- Bexar Archives Online"the official Spanish documents that preserve the political, military, economic, and social life of the Spanish province of Texas and the Mexican state of Coahulia y Texas." Documents range from 1717-1805. Includes thousands of documents translated into English. The physical collection is archived at the University of Texas at Austin Briscoe Center.
- Portal to Texas History"The Portal is a gateway to Texas history materials. From prehistory to the present day, you can explore unique collections from Texas libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, genealogical societies, and private family collections."
- Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Online CollectionsList and links to online collections available via the TSLAC website.
Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO)
- Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO)Provides descriptions of archival, manuscript, and museum collections in Texas repositories. Mostly includes "finding aids", designed by archivists, to help users find materials in the physical archival collection. The collections themselves may not available online.