This web page provides detailed information about archival materials and finding aids. It includes catalog search tips and instructions for doing research.
A condensed version of this page provides links for quick access to JPL historical information, without the details found here.
About JPL
JPL Archives
About the Archives
The Archives collects and preserves JPL project and administrative records.
Research services are provided, including assistance with locating historical
records and answering questions related to JPL's projects and activities.
Appraisal
Contact an archivist for assistance in appraising records for possible historical value:
- JPL Archivist, Julie Cooper, CA, 4-1844
Archives Hours
7:30-4:45, Monday - Friday, excluding JPL
holidays.
Location
Building 111, West end
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
Map and directions to JPL
Research Requests
Cataloged records are available for research use by JPL and NASA personnel and contractors.
Most requests from the public must be submitted as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Please contact the Reference Desk first, and you will be notified if a FOIA request is necessary.
For more information about the FOIA process, please see
the JPL FOIA web page.
Contact the Library Reference Desk at 818-354-4200 or email archives@jpl.nasa.gov .
After consulting a member of the reference staff, you may be asked to read the Rules for Access
to the JPL Archives(Word or PDF), then
fill out and sign the Application for Access to Archival Material (Word or PDF).
The application can be faxed to 818-393-6752 or mailed to:
JPL Archives
MS 111-113
4800 Oak Grove Dr.
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
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BEACON-Archives Catalog
Search the Catalog
Works best with Internet Explorer. Allow popups in order to view PDF files.
BEACON-Archives, the searchable on-line catalog, contains bibliographic information about collections that are available for research use. Records are inventoried to the document, file folder, or box level. Many folder lists, available through the Digital Media Archive in PDF format, can be viewed and searched using Acrobat Reader software.
Portions of the Archives History Collection and the oral history collection are indexed in the catalog. Contact the Reference Desk for assistance with these materials.
Catalog
- Search descriptions of collections and documents.
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Quick or complex searches.
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Browse the catalog.
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Links to PDF folder lists and indexes.
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Digital Media Archive
- Search full text of folder lists and indexes.
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General Search Tips
- This on-line catalog is similar to a typical library catalog. It contains bibliographic records for a variety of archival materials -- large collections and single documents.
- When using the catalog, use the blue oval navigation buttons on the catalog screen (Forward, Back, etc.) Do not use your browser navigation buttons.
- When leaving the catalog, please click on the blue oval "exit" button to end your session, before closing your browser.
Quick Search |
| Select Keyword to search for a word or phrase within a bibliographic record.
Press Enter or click on Search Everthing to search most of the fields in each record. Click on
Author, Title, etc, to limit the search to a specific field. |
| Select Browse and enter a search term to view a list of authors, titles, subjects, etc.
beginning with that word or name. |
| Exact is not usually selected, because the Author, Title, or Subject must be typed
exactly as used in the catalog.
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Complex Search |
In addition to using search terms and specifying fields to be searched,
the search can be limited by Item Type:
Audio-visual
History Collection
Microform - Microfilm or microfiche
Oral History
Photographs/Negatives
Records - Most project and administrative paper collections fall under this type |
Search dates can be specified:
<1960 -- Before 1960
>1972 -- After 1972
1965-1968 -- Between (and including) 1965 and 1968 |
Results can be sorted by:
Author
Subject
Title
Publication Year |
Call Number Browse |
| Type "JPL" to see all project and administrative records (may include paper,
photos, audiovisual, and microform). |
| Type "2-" for History Collection documents. |
Type "OH" for Oral History Interviews.
| To see only a portion of the list, enter a specific call number, such as JPL123, and the list will begin at that
point. | |
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Hard Copy Collections
History Collection
This reference collection was first assembled in the 1970s, with several hundred documents added in recent years. It contains materials pertaining to the development of the Laboratory from 1936 on. Within this collection are records of Army Ordnance projects such as Private, Corporal and Sergeant; NASA programs including Ranger, Surveyor, and Mariner; and other JPL activities. Document types may include memos, letters, reports, articles from magazines and technical journals, and documents published by NASA and other U.S. government agencies relating to work done at JPL.
There are three different versions of an index to the History Collection.
Master Index (Arranged by call number. Includes full title, author, date) PDF File (30 MB)
Subject Index (May use abbreviated title) PDF File (72 MB)
List of Subjects Covered
Date Index (May use abbreviated title) PDF File (12 MB)
Approximately one third of the History Collection is cataloged in BEACON-Archives. Each document is represented by an individual catalog record. Search the Catalog for History Collection documents.
Search Tips |
| Call Number such as 2-1234 |
| Title - the title of a document or subject line of correspondence,
including the recipient, and date. |
| Physical Description indicates the number of pages. |
| Access Restriction indicates when review and clearance are required. |
| A Scope and Content Note is a brief description of a single document. |
| A Biographical or Historical Note contains information about the person or
organization that created the document. |
JPL Publications and Documents
The Archives has a great variety of JPL publications and documents. Some are described in the online catalog or available online. A member of the reference staff can provide more information about those available only in hard copy.
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Project and Administrative Records
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Project Records - Those records created or collected by the flight projects or missions at JPL. Includes records from the project offices as well as technical organizations that support them.
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Administrative Records - Records from the offices of the JPL Director, Deputy Director, Executive Council, and others in upper management.
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List of Collections, Alphabetically by Title
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Many project and administrative records are paper, while others are available on microfilm. There are folder lists and indexes to the collections in PDF format, available through the catalog.
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Search the Catalog for Project and Administrative Records.
Search Tips |
| Call Number such as JPL123 |
| Title usually refers to the mission, organization, or person that
created or collected a set of records, along with the date range of the records. |
| Physical Description indicates if the bibliographic record refers to one item or
many cubic feet of records. |
| Access Restriction indicates when review and clearance are required. |
| A Scope and Content Note is a description of the records found in a collection. |
| A Biographical or Historical Note contains information about the person
or organization that created/collected the records. |
| A Provenance Note is a record of the people or organizations that had
custody of the records over a period of time. |
| An "Electronic Access" link leads to a PDF file of a folder list or index, with more detailed information about the records. A second browser window will open and Acrobat Reader will launch automatically. The Search function in Acrobat Reader can be used to search for specific words within the PDF file. Click on the first browser button on your taskbar to return to the catalog search. |
Still Images
The Archives has a collection of more than 300,000 images, created over a period of 6 decades by the JPL Photo Lab. There are negatives from 35mm to 8x10. A set of large photo albums, containing 4x5 prints, contains a large portion of those images.
This photo collection was described in a series of 3-ring binders. Each photo was assigned a number, with a date and brief description.
See Media -- Still Images, below, for access to selected images and indexes online.
Media
- Collections stored as electronic files, on magnetic media, or film products
Audiovisual Materials
The Archives has collections of audio tape, video tape in a variety of formats, and film. Most of the collections are described in the online catalog.
JPL Publications and Miscellaneous Documents
Some JPL publications and documents are available online, on various JPL and NASA web sites.
Oral History
Unique personal experiences that may go unrecorded in written documentation are
captured on audiotape and later transcribed and made available for research use. Both current
and former JPL employees have an opportunity to offer significant information about their roles at
JPL --- and contribute to the overall understanding of the Laboratory's growth and development.
Transcripts are available.
A portion of the oral history interviews are cataloged in BEACON-Archives. Search the Catalog for Oral History interviews.
Search Tips |
| Call Number such as OH40
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| Personal Author is the interviewee |
| Title identifies the item as a transcript and gives the date of the interview. |
| Physical Description indicates the number of pages
in the transcript and what kind of recording exists. |
| A Scope and Content Note is a brief description of subjects covered in the interview. |
| Subject Terms indicates subjects discussed by the interviewee. |
| Personal Subject indicates people mentioned during the interview. |
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Still Images
See the Historical Photo of the Month for images that have already been released to the public.
The photo album collection (JPL153) has been scanned and converted to PDF. The catalog record for JPL153 contains links to images and indexes. The indexes are searchable, using the Digital Media Archive search or the search function (binoculars) in Acrobat Reader. Images with indexes have not yet been reviewed and cleared for release to the public, so they are available for JPL internal use only. Indexes without images are available for internal and external use. Contact the Library Reference Desk for assistance in finding and ordering photos.
Search the Catalog for images.
A portion of the photo index (for P-numbered photos) can be found on the BEACON web site, as text files. Indexes are available to internal and external customers.
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Electronic Archives (e-Archives)
E-Archives contains inactive electronic libraries from projects and line organizations. Access to the contents of specific libraries may be restricted by the project or line oganization.
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