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Africa Collections at the Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Important Resources

Aeon: Registration and request system

(start here to register for an account if you are new)

OAC: Guides to archival collections

(search for and request archival items to view)

SearchWorks: Catalog of library material

(search for and request library items to view)

Digital Collections: Digitized materials

(search for digitized collection materials)

Search Tips

For keyword searches, consider trying one-word searches first to receive a wide range of results. When you enter several search terms, only results containing all terms will be shown. Especially when using search terms in foreign languages, consider trying alternate spellings.

Searches on the Online Archive of California (OAC) will bring up a list of relevant collections. Click on the underlined collection titles to go to the finding aid of individual collections. Highlights and arrows will lead you to each place in the finding aid where the search term is found.

Bonus tip (works for both SearchWorks and OAC): If you find one result that is particularly relevant, look at the subject terms assigned to it and try performing a search for similar or related materials by clicking on the applicable subject term(s).

Questions? Email hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu

How to Access Collection Materials in Person

To visit the Hoover Institution Library & Archives and use materials from our collections, you need to:

  1. Create an Aeon Account,
  2. Request the collection materials you would like to use, and
  3. Make a reservation for a visit to our Reading Room.

The following brief videos show you how to set up an Aeon account (step 1):

... and how to request materials and reserve a seat in the Reading Room (steps 2 and 3):

Finally, prior to your visit, please also review the following, brief instructional video on how to handle archival materials in the Reading Room.

How to Access Collection Materials Remotely

If you are unable to come to Stanford in person, you can request low resolution scans of materials from our collections! The following video explains you how to request scans of archival materials through Aeon:

... and this video explains how to use Aeon to request reference scans of materials from the Hoover Institution Library: