Archives in PA: Regional Pennsylvania Archives

The term "regional archives" is not one these institutions use to describe themselves. It is a term invented to describe archives that focus their collections across a region of several counties, but less than the whole state. The main regional archives in Pennsylvania focus on three different geographies: the Philadelphia area, Central Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania. 

These regionally focused archives all employ professional archivists for processing. Their catalogs are all online and searchable from anywhere, and include detailed listings of collection contents. Finding aids are also common in these archives and usually downloadable as PDF files for easy reference by researchers. 

For each archive in this chapter there is a short history, links to its website, catalog and/or finding aids, and the highlights of the collection for genealogists. Each of these archives requests researchers contact them prior to arrival for consultation. Email is the preferred communication method. When you email, state your planned dates for research and collections you would like to review. As of the date of publication, there is no fee for researching in any of these locations.

Also included in this section is the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries (PACSCL). PACSCL is not an archive, but an association of archives located in and around Philadelphia. It is an incredibly helpful organization for research.

These are all "must do" archives for researchers. Their collections are updated often, and the range of their materials ensures one of them will have something to meet your research goals.