Finding Items: Search and Browse

There are several ways to explore the archives. You can use whichever feels easiest.

Search Box

The search box looks for words in titles, descriptions, names, and other information.

You can enter a name, a place, or a topic, then press Enter or click the search button.

Search Tips (Wildcards)

You can use special characters to match different word forms:

• * matches many characters. Example: farm* finds farm, farms, farming, farmhouse
• ? matches one character. Example: colo?r finds color and colour

Browse by Collections

Collections are groups of related items such as family collections, organization records, photo collections, or event collections.

To browse collections:

• Choose Collections from the menu.
• Click a collection name to see everything inside it.
• Click any item to view details and media.

Advanced Search

Advanced Search lets you search specific fields, combine multiple search rules, and limit results to certain collections or item types.

This is useful when you get too many results from simple search or want to narrow results step by step.