The browse search returns an alphabetical list of results. This type of searching is useful when you know the title or part of the title of a work, or for finding all the works associated with a particular author or subject. From the results page you can move forwards and backwards in the list from your original search term in order to find the heading you require.
The Advanced Search is better as you can now use this to search within only the Estate Records (see How can I limit my search to the Estate Records?)
You can also now limit your search to a start and end date.
Wildcards stand in for missing characters. They are useful if you want to search for variant spellings.
These are commands which allow you to combine search terms to broaden or limit your search. The terms supported in 'NLW Archives and Manuscripts' include AND, OR, NOT and NEAR.
Once you have opened the collection you require on NLW Archives and Manuscripts, you will see the archival tree at the top of the page. This archival tree lists every record in the collection. To the left of the record you will see a 'Quick search' box. Enter your keyword in this box and click on the magnifying glass icon next to it, and all relevant results within the collection will appear below the search box. Select the record you want and the description will open in the main column.
Following user feedback, we have developed an A-Z index list of 50 of the largest/most used estate collections held at the Library. This list allows you to click on a title of an estate collection and see the top level record for that estate in NLW Archives and Manuscripts. You can subsequently use the quick search to search within the estate collection. Hopefully this should give quick access to a selection of estate collections.
You can search for NLW Annual Reports 1909-2000 (previously on ISYS) on our Archives and Manuscripts: Annual Reports page.
If you're aware that a certain item is in the collection, but cannot find it on the Catalogue, you can use this form to make a non-Catalogue request.
You can save records of interest with the new Clipboard tool, however, they are session based, and therefore will disappear once you close NLW Archives and Manuscripts. You can use this tool without logging in.
To save records
To save a record, in the right column under the heading 'Clipboard' click on the word 'add' (to the right of the paperclip icon).
To view your Clipboard
To view your clipboard, click on the icon of a paperclip which will appear in the top right corner of the screen once you have saved a record. It will show the number of items you have saved in a blue circle. A small drop down will open, and you will need to click on 'Go to Clipboard' to see your saved records.
To open a saved record, click on the title of the record.
To save your clipboard for 7 days
Click on the icon of a paperclip in the top right corner of the screen and select 'Save clipboard'. You will then be shown your clipboard view page. This includes a notice at the top of the screen which includes an unique id for your clipboard. Make a note of this id number in order to access your saved clipboard in future.
To reload a saved clipboard
Click on the icon of a paper clip in the top right corner and select 'Load clipboard'. Enter your Clipboard id which you would have made a note of when you saved your clipboard.
Under the section 'Action', you have 2 options:
Once you have selected your Action, you can click Load at the bottom of the form to see your clipboard.
*Please note that the catalogue only shows one entity type at a time, and the default is Archival descriptions. If you have saved different entity types, you can view those by clicking on the entity type dropdown list in the top right corner above your saved items.
To delete a record from the Clipboard
To delete a record, click on the blue square with an icon of a paperclip on the right side of the record. The next time you go into the Clipboard the record will have disappeared. If you change your mind after deleting an item, you can re-save it by clicking on the icon of a paperclip before leaving the Clipboard.
Print a copy of the Clipboard
You can also print a copy of the records on your Clipboard. To do this you will need to log in to your Reader's Ticket account, and then click on 'Print preview' at the top of your list. This will open a preview of how the list will appear, and you can the print from your browser.
Dowload a .csv copy of the Clipboard
If you prefer, you can download a .csv file of the Clipboard (again you will need to log in to your Reader's Ticket account first) by clicking on 'Export CSV' at the top of your list. You will then need to click on 'job management' in the sentence that appears at the top of the page. This will display a table, which will allow you to click on 'download' towards the right side of the table. This will download the .csv file for you. You can clear your list once you have downloaded your file by clicking on the red 'Clear inactive jobs' button under the table.
Use double quotation marks, e.g. "B3/3/3" rather than B3/3/3
Searching without double quotation marks can be much less effective, especially if the search contains symbols other than letters or numbers (e.g. / ).
The collapsible list is the archival tree. It is this tree that shows how different items within a specific collection relate to each other. Within a collection like the Badminton Estate Records you have many single items. You may have opened a record that sits in the middle of a collection, and it's the archival tree that allows you to see what record come before and after it, and how it relates to the rest of the collection.
The archival tree can be seen at the top of the page when you've opened a record in NLW Archives and Manuscripts. The archival tree looks like a collapsible list. It is a list of all the items within a specific collection. For example a collection like the Badminton Estate Records has many single items. You may have opened a record that sits in the middle of a collection, and it's the archival tree that allows you to see what record come before and after it, and how it relates to the rest of the collection.
The record you have opened will be highlighted in blue in the archival tree. To open another record, or another branch of the tree, click on its title in the tree.
When you click on a record title in the tree, the description will open in the main column.
You can now download a pdf of all the descriptions within a collection. This will give you a list similar to what was provided through the previous ISYS Catalogue.
To download a pdf click on the 'Download' link under 'Finding Aid' in the column on the right hand side.
Tips:
You will see the information regarding the collection at the beginning of the pdf (including a link to go back to the collection on NLW Archives and Manuscripts), followed by descriptions for the records within the collection.
To log in click on the 'Sign in' link in the top right corner. You must be logged in to request items for viewing in our Reading Room.
You can join the Library by registering online.