The State Archives is a member of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and catalogs its materials in their national database. Those records can be accessed through the OCLC Worldcat Discovery catalog.
The Worldcat Discovery link from this site defaults to State Historical Society of North Dakota Archives and Library holdings, although you can search libraries across the state and world. The State Archives holdings found in the Worldcat Discovery catalog include books, state and federal documents, newspapers, periodicals, maps, state and local government records, and photograph and manuscript collections. Inventories to a number of manuscript collections and series are available online and are linked from the catalog record in Worldcat Discovery.
The State Archives materials do not circulate and must be used in the Orin G. Libby Memorial Reading Room. Newspapers and state census records on microfilm are available through Interlibrary Loan.
City and business directories and gazetteers provide listings of individual residents and various businesses. Atlases and plat books date from 1884 and show the ownership of land by township and county.
Other maps, both single items and series are mostly cataloged. The map catalog is available in the general reference area.
Federal published documents are received through the Federal Depository Library Program. Federal publications in the State Archives collection are listed through the Worldcat Discovery catalog. The US Serial Set Index provides access to that series of publications. The index is available in the Reading Room. The State Historical Society has been a selective federal depository since 1907 and currently receives less than 2% of all federally published documents.
State-published documents are held on a depository basis and access to them is listed through the Worldcat Discovery catalog.
Periodical holdings can also be found listed in Worldcat Discovery. This collection of more than 1,800 titles includes rare items published in the early days of the territory and state as well as later publications focusing on history, archaeology, and preservation.
Posters, broadsides, and architectural drawings are maintained in the collections. Finding aids are available for some of these collections. For example, the Society has an extensive collection of World War I posters - approximately 900 different posters were collected during that period.
Architectural drawings from two major architectural firms document many buildings and landscapes for the first half of the 20th century.
Historical Data Project (WPA) Biography Files gathered in the 1930s from personal interviews are organized by county and by individual name. Microfilm copies may be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan. Please specify county and name.
Audiovisual materials include motion picture film and video tape, and oral history interviews. The film collection includes the Holmboe Collection, the North Dakota Television News Film Collection, several individual and family collections (both amateur and professional), and other film and video from a variety of sources. The collections include an estimated 5 million feet of 16mm motion picture film, approximately 3.5 million feet of which was acquired from North Dakota television stations covering the period 1953-1977. Most of the oral history collection consists of taped reminiscences conducted between 1974-1977 in conjunction with the Bicentennial celebration.
The North Dakota Veterans History Project conducted mainly between 2002 and 2007,also contains oral history interviews, written memoirs, and other information collected on veterans of 20th century wars. The State Historical Society serves as a with the Library of Congress in the U.S. Congress initiative. Completed interviews are available in the Archives Reading Room.
Address:
612 East Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505
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Hours:
State Museum and Store: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F; Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
We are closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. We are closed at noon Christmas Eve if it falls on Mon.-Thurs. and are closed all day if it falls on Fri.-Sun.
State Archives: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F, except state holidays; 2nd Sat. of each month, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment, please contact us at 701.328.2091 or archives@nd.gov.
State Historical Society offices: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F, except state holidays.
Contact Us:
phone: 701.328.2666
email: history@nd.gov
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