American Society for Quality Archives

Using the ASQ Archives

Do we have what you want?

There are several ways to look through the Archives' holdings.  You can browse the ASQ Archives holdings, which are broken down into groups.  The holdings of the ASQ Archives, like those of all the University Archives at UIUC, are described online in control cards.  The majority of these control cards are linked to finding aids which offer a more detailed description of what is held in a particular record series.  It may help to think of them as tables of contents for each series of records.

If, for example, you were looking for back issues of Newsletter Notes, the Newsletter of the Aviation, Space and Defense Division, you would look under the Division Records heading on the holdings page.  Then, following the note about divisions not listed being included in the record series Division Records (RS 11/82/1), you would click that link.  On the linked page, which is the control card, click on View Box/Folder List to see the full finding aid for this record series.  In the finding aid, under the entry for the Aviation, Space and Defense Division, you will see our holdings of the division's newsletters.

You can also search the ASQ Archives records using the University Archives holdings database.  However, as this database searches all the control cards of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives', your search may return results not related to the ASQ Archives. 

There are instructions for searching the on the holdings database page, but there are a few other tips.  When using the basic or advanced searches, you will be more likely to find what you are looking for without typing ASQ into the search box.  The basic and advanced options search for terms entered into the search box as a phrase, and thus adding ASQ will limit your search results.  Search only the keyword or phrase you think an item would be included under in the holdings.

If you have no luck with the basic or advanced searches, try the Google search of the ASQ finding aids on the right side of this page.  Please see Google's basic search page for more information on using this search option.  If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact the ASQ Archives Assistant.

On-site Research

If you would like to do research in person, please contact the ASQ Archives Assistant in advance to make arrangements so the he or she will be available to assist you.  The Assistant can also check the records for you to ensure that we have the information or documents you need.

The ASQ Archives are located in the Horticulture Field Lab building at 1707 S. Orchard St. in Urbana, Illinois, which is on Orchard Street south of Florida on the southeast part of the University of Illinois campus (Map).  Please come to the Archives Research Center in room 105 when you arrive.  Please note that there are other archives, archivists, and assistants in the Archives Research Center who may help you, but the ASQ Archives Assistant will be most familiar with the holdings of the ASQ Archives.

The Archives Research Center has a photocopier, but no change or copy card machines, so please come prepared.  The rate for copies is $0.15 per page in cash, or $0.09 per page using a copy card.  (Copy card machine locations).

Off-site Research

The ASQ Archives also provides assistance to researchers who cannot physically visit the archives.  You are welcome to contact the ASQ Archives Assistant with ASQ-related questions, whether you have looked through our finding aids or not.  If you have looked at our finding aids and know exactly what you want, please note the name of the series or the record series number, as well as the box number and name of the folder that interests you when you contact us.

  If you require photocopies of any records, please see the University Archives Photocopy Policy.