Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Arkansas Digital Archives and who manages the content?
The Arkansas Digital Archives provides online access to digitized materials maintained by the Arkansas State Archives. The site is produced by Archives staff on the Digital Commons platform, powered by bepress.
Click here to learn more about the history of the Arkansas State Archives.
How do I find things on the Arkansas Digital Archives website?
The View and Search columns on the Arkansas Digital Archives’ Digital Home page offer broad categories of the material types available on this site. These categories are also listed with collection links in the expanded view on the Collections page.
To search the site, use the Search box on the left navigation pane. Choose to search “in this repository” to locate material on the Arkansas Digital Archives website. The “across all repositories” option searches the entire Digital Commons network.
In order to search within a specific collection, first navigate to the desired collection. Once in a collection, the option to search “in this collection” will appear under the Search options in the left navigation pane.
Click Advanced Search for more narrowing abilities. Help using Search offers tips for searching the site.
I can’t find my subject on this site. Does that mean the Arkansas Digital Archives doesn’t have any material on my subject?
If the tips suggested in “How do I find things on the Arkansas Digital Archives website?” and Help using Search don’t yield results, you may call us at 501.682.6900 or email us at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Please note that not all of our collections are available online.
Do you plan to digitize all of your records?
Due to the size of our collections, staffing, and funding concerns, we do not plan to digitize the entirety of our collections at this time. However, we do plan to make available increasing numbers of finding aids, digital scans, and other information regarding our collections.
Onsite microfilm viewing is expected to remain the primary means of access for many county records and any newspapers not yet on newspapers.com and the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America.
How can I learn when new content is added?
Visit our announcements page to learn about new additions and to sign up for personalized email notifications, or bealerts, and getting the Arkansas Digital Archives RSS feed. Also stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter social media platforms for important announcements.
Why is this download taking a long time?
The Arkansas Digital Archives strives to make quality and readable scans available online. Please be patient when downloading these files, as items can take significant time to download.
Many larger scrapbooks have been tested at different qualities and are at their peak compromise between quality and download speed. They are currently packaged as a single download to make viewing more convenient to you.
If after several attempts you are unable to download a particular file, feel free to contact us for smaller sections. Alternately, you may also visit our research room and use our internet to download the files you want. Our research room has several computers available for patron use and freely available wireless internet.
Can I order higher resolution copies of an item I found on the Arkansas Digital Archives?
Yes! The copies available online are of access quality, and in most cases, are not the highest possible resolution. If you need higher resolution for publication, please complete and submit a Media Reproduction Order Form, available on our Research Services page.
How do I cite items I found on this site?
Each item’s information page includes a recommended citation. Please use that citation when referencing content from the Arkansas Digital Archives.
What do I need to do to publish an item I found on this site?
Please help us show the value of our materials in our usage reports. Submit a Publication Permission form for any items you plan to highlight in research, academic lectures, student project or paper, film/video, electronic media, print media, or other project. There is no permission fee required.
Can I contribute to this site?
The Arkansas State Archives welcomes donations from individuals, families, and organizations, as well as transfer of records having long-term value from others state agencies, offices, and commissions. If you have material that you think might be of interest to the Arkansas State Archives and for the Arkansas Digital Archives site, we would like to hear from you. Please check out Donating Materials, then complete and submit the form, and a representative from the archives will contact you shortly. Thank you for helping to preserve the rich and wonderful history of Arkansas and its people!
How can I help?
There are many opportunities to intern and volunteer at the Arkansas State Archives. To learn more about the areas of work visit Become a Volunteer.
