help
- What is searched?
- Collection Summaries
- Quick Search: how do I start?
- Quick Search: choosing a category
- Advanced Search: choosing a database
- What does the Advanced Search do?
- Viewing an entire archive collection
- Project Newsletters
- Internet browser compatibility
What does Black Country History search?
Black Country History searches the computerised catalogues of the four Black Country record offices simultaneously, displaying search results on one web page. Black Country History does not search all of the records held by each service but only what is currently available as online catalogue records. However, these records are being added to all the time so it is always worth checking back at a later date.
Collection Summaries
The Collection Summary page provides a list of the main collections in each of the catalogues of the four archive and local history services and may help with your search. The summary lists give the main ‘Ref No’ collection for each collection and covering dates. You can use this information in an Advanced Search.
Quick Search: how do I start?
You can start by typing a word or phrase into the Quick Search box. This will search the records of the four Black Country archive services – either the archives and local history catalogues or the Illustrations catalogues. If your search term contains more than one word (e.g. Dudley Castle) put the phrase in quotation marks (e.g. "Dudley Castle") so that only records containing both of these words are displayed.
If you see the words 'No Records Found', this means that there are no records matching your search term. This does not necessarily mean that records on your chosen subject are unavailable, but you might have to think about using a different search word or phrase.
This is where the Advanced Search facility can be useful.
Quick Search: choosing a category
Within the Quick Search function, you have the option of refining your search. After entering your search term, you can choose whether to search all records (i.e. all of the archive and local studies material from each record office) or just images (i.e. only the photographs from each record office). This option is particularly useful if you just want to look for photographs.
If you want to refine your search further, select the Advanced Search option.
Advanced Search: Choosing a database
There are two Advanced search options on the same page – one for Archives and Local Studies, and one for Illustrations
The Archives and Local Studies option, which appears first, searches the document collections and the local studies libraries of the four services. You can search any combination of the four, or all at once. The archive collections contain some illustrations, though the majority will have only a catalogue description, not a thumbnail of the illustration.
The Illustrations option also provides links to Dudley Museum Service. Illustrations will often have thumbnail copies attached to the catalogue information.
In each Advanced Search option you can choose whether to search all, or a selection of the available databases, by ticking (or unticking) the boxes next to each data source. This can help to refine your search and will speed up the time it takes the website to do the search.
What does the Advanced Search do?
The Advanced Search fields for Archives and Local History and for Illustrations allows you to refine your search by focusing your search terms on particular fields.
Searching within specific fields
The Advanced Search allows you to choose the title, description, author, archive reference number, class reference number or date of a particular record. 'Title' refers to the name of the record. This is different from a keyword search so you should type in the exact title. 'Description' is an account of the content of the record. 'Author' relates to the author of a book. ‘Subject’ links to the subject terms in the archives, local studies and illustrations catalogues.'Archive reference number' relates to the unique number assigned to archive collections. 'Class' refers to the reference number given to local studies material such as books and publications. 'Date' specifies the date in which the item was created - for example, the publication date of a book.
Choosing 'And' or 'Or'
This is known as Boolean searching. It allows you to extend or narrow your searches.'And' allows you to search for records that contain two or more words that you specify. For example, searching for 'Dudley' and 'Castle' will only find records in which both words occur. Records with just the word 'Dudley' or 'Castle' will be excluded.
'Or' allows you to search for records which contain any of the words you specify. For example, searching for 'Dudley' or 'Castle' will find records that contain either or both of these words.
Viewing an entire archive collection
When you view an individual record, it sometimes forms part of a larger collection. To view the whole collection, click on the link which says: This record is part of a collection. Click here to view the record and its place within the collection (opens new window). A popup window will show the record view, and by clicking on the reference number which is highlighted in blue, you will be able to view the entire archive collection.
Project Newsletters
There were nineteen Project Newsletters produced by Documenting the Workshop of the World project which created the Black Country History web site. These include news and historical information on some of the collections whose catalogues are included on the site. The newsletters are available as PDFs together with a short description of relevant contents.
Internet browser compatibility
This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer Version 5.5 or above.
