What are Finding Aids?

Finding aids are descriptive tools, e.g., registers, guides, inventories, indexes, containing information about records in archival custody, that establish administrative, physical or intellectual control over the holdings of an archives, and make it possible to retrieve particular records or information from these archives.

The ASC fonds register is a list of all university and private records preserved at York University Archives sorted alphabetically by the name of its creator. Individual finding aids will be linked to this web site as they become available.

Our other finding aids include the following:

• Thematic guides built around ASC's areas of strength including:

1. Guide to Archival Resources for Women's Studies
2. Guide to Archival Resources for Moving Images at York University
3. Guide to Archival Resources for Labour History at York University"
4. War and Conflict Resource Guide (DRAFT ONLY)
5. Guide to Canadian Literary Papers at York University Archives
6. Guide to Archival Resources for the Fine Arts at York University Archives
7. Guide to Archival Resources for Social Reform Movements at York University Archives(DRAFT)

• Virtual exhibits:

1. A Virtual Exhibit and Electronic Finding Aid for the Herman Voaden fonds at York University Archives and Special Collections
2. A Virtual Exhibit for the Danny Grossman Dance Company Fonds at York University Archives and Special Collections
3. First World War Love Story : Beer Family Fonds Virtual Exhibit on ARCHEION
4. TTC Subway Fiftieth Anniversary Photo Gallery
5. The Clara Thomas Archives celebrates honorary degree recipient Robbie Robertson's early years on the Toronto music scene
6. I Heard a Story about Yorkville: A virtual exhibit that takes a look at Yorkville at a time when it was an embodiment of youth, student militancy and rock and roll

• A searchable database of ca. 1000 photographs from the Toronto Telegram photograph collection held by York University Archives and Special Collections.
• A Guide to the fonds d'archives and Collections in the Holdings of the York University Archives by Barbara Craig and Peter D. James was published by ECW Press in 1995 and provides fonds level descriptions to those fonds acquired up until 31 December 1993 and is available in the Archives reading room and in select libraries.
• York University Chronology: 1955-1994.