While Taylor Research Group (TRG) is a Washington, DC-based research firm, conveniently located near major federal repositories, our work is far from limited to the DC region. TRG researchers regularly travel across the country to conduct research at local and state repositories, government offices, university libraries, and historical societies. We recently surveyed our office and found that collectively, we have conducted in-person research in at least 32 states– and that doesn't count the states whose records we've "visited" remotely (all 50, plus Guam and Puerto Rico!). This is all to say that we go anywhere and everywhere to collect and analyze the documents that are essential to our clients.
TRG’s reach is nationwide. (Image credit: Taylor Research Group)
No matter where we go, two things hold true: every repository will present its own challenges and TRG will be able to quickly adapt. Each archive has its own quirks–different styles of finding aids and procedures for requesting material, different hours, even different rules for permissible equipment like cameras and computers. But our team’s familiarity with a wide variety of archives makes this learning curve virtually non-existent. Our researchers have visited hundreds of repositories across the country and are familiar with typical archival standards and practices, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional facilities to local municipal records systems. Our experience allows us to quickly identify and collect documentation when traveling with time constraints.
TRG staff have been frequent visitors to the New York State Archive and New York State Library in Albany, NY. (Source: TRG, August 2022.)
Before we travel, we communicate extensively with archivists,librarians, and reference staff at repositories to make sure the materials of interest to us are ready to be reviewed upon our arrival. These communications are valuable not just in establishing rapport and making staff aware of our needs, but sometimes result in suggestions for additional avenues of research to explore. For example, one of our researchers shared this anecdote:
I was conducting research at a state historical society out west and had nearly exhausted my search. I asked one of the librarians if they could suggest any other records pertaining to my time period and subject matter. Not only did they provide useful suggestions, but they took me into the stacks as well so I could see what was available.
In fact, this has happened to us on several occasions, and has yielded key documentation. With a deep knowledge of their collections, archivists, librarians, and reference staff are often our most valuable ally when conducting research for clients. They can make recommendations or offer access to items that are not in the catalog or finding aid. Our extensive travel means that TRG researchers have attained a vast network of archivists and librarians that we can consult when necessary. A first visit may be just the beginning of a lasting relationship with a repository, and so we establish solid connections with archivists and librarians wherever we go and work to maintain those connections. These relationships help ensure that we are welcome repeat researchers. Staff trust us and are often eager to assist us, which can make our return visits even more time and cost efficient. A colleague relayed this example:
We were wrapping up a week of research at a repository in the Midwest, finding reams of valuable documentation, but we weren't finished reviewing the collection. We knew that we would have to return, but the research room was booked solid for two weeks. The staff had been wonderful the entire time and we’d had nothing but positive interactions. They offered to hold our carts until our return, which was something they rarely did for researchers. It might seem a small matter, but when we returned, having our carts right there ready for us saved us several hours that we otherwise would have spent filling out requests and waiting for records to be pulled.
When we travel, our intimate knowledge of the legal case or other research project background travels with us. A major benefit of utilizing the experience of TRG’s team over local document retrieval services is our ability to tap into pre-existing knowledge of a client’s case. And, of course, we’re a team–we are a highly collaborative group and no matter where the research takes us we can share findings and leads with each other in real time. Knowing what has previously been obtained from in-house resources, prior research efforts, or by our fellow team members not only allows us to quickly identify the documents of interest to our clients, it also ensures that we don’t waste resources identifying and collecting redundant materials. Instead, we find crucial, supplemental information that builds upon previous findings, which better helps our clients develop fully formed answers to their research questions. As one staff member recounted:
Several of us were working at an archive halfway across the country when we found a reference to a key document, but that document was not in the collection we were reviewing. However, we knew that there was a high likelihood that it was at another repository, and knew that we had a colleague close by. We made a phone call, and before the day had ended our colleague had found the document in a correspondence file and sent a digital copy to us. That document contained information that led us to additional material at the archive where we were working. It’s that level of teamwork and flexibility that really sets us apart.
Recently, TRG conducted research at the National Archives at Atlanta (research room pictured here). In fact, our research team has been to every NARA regional archive in the country. (Source: TRG, June 2024)
Even better–traveling can help deepen our knowledge of a case or project. As we’ve discussed in our previous blog, the entire story is rarely confined to a single archive. Leads that we discover at one repository often lead to new avenues of research, sometimes at a location we’ve never been to, while other times it leads right back to our home turf. One of our staff members provided this illustrative example:
During one particular research trip, I was reviewing correspondence between the entity of interest and a government agency. Through this correspondence,I learned that the entity had been in contact with another federal agency whose involvement we had not been aware of. When we returned to DC, we returned to the National Archives and reviewed boxes for that newly identified agency. If we had not been in the regional archives closely reviewing that material, it is likely I would not have found that information.
Knowing what records are of value, where they are located, and how to access them is critical to our success. We never know exactly what leads we’ll find during our research, but we often find them in arcane and unusual places, from forgotten newspaper clippings to handwritten notations in margins to single lines in reports, any of which can lead us to further research discoveries and a deluge of new information. Making sure that we’ve gone to all the right places is therefore a key part of our job.
Despite technological advancements and digitization efforts, archives will remain complex and the physical records they hold will remain important. Archival holdings will only continue to grow – and at a much quicker pace due to the volume of records being generated. A simple online search, or reliance on digitized records, will never be enough to find all of the crucial details and historical facts of a case. Luckily, TRG’s skills, connections, and experience can help our clients find what they need, no matter where the information is located.