Below are some commons tips for conducting a thorough search across any of CHM’s discovery platforms.
Neighborhoods: If you are looking for a particular neighborhood, search under both the official city Community Area Name as well as the unofficial name of the neighborhood. For example, a search for Back of the Yards will return several sources, but its official Community Area Name is New City, so be sure to search that as well. Check the Encyclopedia of Chicago for the Community Area Name.
Addresses: Some collections may include specific addresses. In general, we aim to standardize these to the full spelling of the address, for instance “1601 North Clark Street”, but you may also want to try searching for “1601 N Clark St” or just “1601 Clark.”
Names of Individuals: Names can be tricky because of variations in how they are formatted, use of nicknames, maiden names, and abbreviations. Different platforms will handle names differently, but here are some common, general tips for searching.
Historically, women were commonly referred to by their husband’s name, such as “Mrs. John Smith.” Try searching the legal names, husband’s name, as well as maiden name, when applicable.
Keep in mind the varying formats a name might take such as: First Last, or Last, First, whether a nickname was used or a first name was abbreviated. Try searching with or without a middle name or initial if known.
Many names have been anglicized. If alternative spellings, endonyms, or previous names are known, search for those as well. Consider phonetic variations and common substitutions in spelling.
Dates: Different platforms handle dates differently. Depending on the platform and how material is cataloged, you may be able to search, filter, or sort by date or by a range of dates. Keep in mind common date formats like YYYY-MM-DD or full spelling like Month DD, YYYY. Each platform will have different instructions on how to format dates for optimal searching, but for keyword searching, try a variety of formats.
Historical Search Terms: Language changes frequently and historical material often reflects the culture and language of a particular period or place. Sometimes, language is changed in a descriptive resource to be more inclusive and reflect a more modern use of language, and other times original terminology is kept and presented as part of the historical record. Trying different search terms that reflect both modern and historical use of language will often yield the best results. See our Subject Guides for more information.
The Chicago History Museum's Research Collections can be searched by format or material type as well as subject area. Research and Access staff have many Collection and Subject Guides to get you started.
Collection Guides:
Subject Guides: