The State Archives and Historical Research Library division is responsible for the documentary collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. It is the official state archives, and acquires and preserves all types of research materials relating to North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains, including manuscript collections, books, periodicals, maps, newspapers, audio and video materials, and photographs. Three dimensional artifacts are maintained in the collections of the Museum and Education Division.

The on-line catalog of archives and library collections is the Online Dakota Information Network (ODIN). The ODIN link from this site defaults to State Historical Society of North Dakota Archives and Library holdings. Inventories to a number of collections or series are available on-line and are linked from the catalog record in ODIN.

The State Archives and Historical Research Library reading room is open for research 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. It is also open for research the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except legal holidays. In recognition of the Veterans' Day holiday, the reading room will be closed November 10-12. It will NOT be open November 10.

The Public Death Index is available through the North Dakota Department of Health website. The Public Death Index will allow you to search the index and order certified copies if you wish.

New! "From the Collections" features digital reproductions of items from the archives. The following items can be accessed here (most are in PDF format and require an Adobe Acrobat reader):
Frontier Scout, the first newspaper published in northern Dakota Territory, is available on-line.
Colton (G.W. and C.B.) And Company. Dakota. New York?, c1876. Color map 38x31 cm. Scale 34 miles to 1 inch. Detached from Gray’s Atlas, 1879. 978.3 1879? C732
Mark H. Kellogg Diary, 1876. Reporter's notebook concerning the Seventh Cavalry and the Little Big Horn Expedition. Journalist, reporter for the Bismarck Tribune killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Collection 20017.
Bismarck Tribune Extra published July 6, 1876, reporting on the death of George Armstrong Custer and the men under his command.