Use the search tool in upper right corner for a quick search of our entire set of collections.
Our Collections:
The Finding Aids for our more extensive archived collections which were originally sorted, organized and described according to ArchivesSpace as part of the Mennonite Archival Commons have recently been transferred to MAID [Mennonite Archival Image Database] which uses AtoM [Access to Memory] descriptions. The PNMHS portion of the database can be found at this link.
While the original finding aids are still available they are accessible using the links [Id#] in the final column and the links in the first column [Id #] take you to the MAID database.
• Personal Collections
• Congregational Collections
• Mennonite Conferences
• Organizations and Institutions
• Miscellaneous Collections
Other collections:
We have many smaller collections, typically contained in a single file folder, stored in file cabinets in these categories:
• Family Files
• Congregations
• Vertical Files (related to Mennonite organizations and issues)
• Periodicals
• OMHGS/PNMHS Newsletter
• Yearbooks for Mennonite Schools
• Family Bibles
• Record Albums
• Miscellaneous Items (a small collection of scrapbooks and photo albums)
• German Books
Library Collection:
Search our Library Collection at this Link
Photo collections:
We have these two different digital collections of photographs:
• Scanned photos of photographs in archived collections
• Photos of PNMHS Activities and Events
Personal Collection vs. Historical Archive:
The primary purpose of a personal collection is to maintain photographs for oneself,
while the purpose of a historical archive is to maintain photographs for others. The
images in a historical archive will usually have more extensive documentation and
include only images that merit the effort for this documentation. Information about the
photographs in a personal collection usually resides primarily in the memory of the
owner, and is often lost when the owner dies. A historical archive is intended to avoid
such a loss of information. A personal photograph collection usually is not maintained
as a collection after the initial owner can no longer manage it. A family collection should
be distributed to others who will continue preserving copies of it. A historical photograph
archive is generally a subset of a personal collection and is separate from the
personal collection.
