Table of Contents
- Introduction (see also: MARS Tutorial Videos in YouTube - opens in a new window)
- Search Screens
- Results Screen
- Record Details Screen
- Search Tips
Introduction
MARS (Manuscript and Archives Reference System) is the online catalog for the State Archives of North Carolina and the Outer Banks History Center. It contains searchable descriptions of both archives’ holdings. MARS can be a powerful tool for historical and ancestral research projects. You can search MARS online from home or at the State Archives of North Carolina. Visit the Search Room at the North Carolina States Archives to view items described in the collection; reference archivists are on duty to assist researchers and to ensure the proper care of the collection.
To learn more about using the MARS catalog, you can read detailed instructions on the following help pages. Soon you will also be able to view video tutorials that will show you the basics of searching in MARS, provide examples, and show you search tips. For additional assistance, click on the Contact Us link here or at the bottom of each page.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Search Screens
Basic Search
Basic Search allows you to search the entire MARS catalog. It’s a good place to start when you want to do a quick search of the catalog, or if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for.
Type a word or series of words separated by spaces into the Search Text box to find records that contain all of the words you enter. These words may appear anywhere in the record and do not necessarily have to appear together. It does not matter if you use proper capitalization. Once you have entered the word or phrase that you want to search for, click the Search button to begin searching.
For more suggestions about how to use the Basic Search screen, consult the Search Tips section.
Advanced Search
Advanced Search allows you to target your search by telling MARS where to look for your search word or phrase. To start an Advanced Search, click on the Advanced Search button from the Basic Search page.
When we add information about an item (or collection, box, etc.) to the MARS catalog, we break the information down into fields. Each field is a different place for MARS to search for information. Some of the fields include:
- Title
- Class, Collection, Series
- Year
- Subjects
- Author/Producer
- Type of Document
- Donor/Agent
When you do an Advanced Search, you can tell MARS to just to look in a particular field or fields. This method of searching can be helpful if you have some information about the item you are looking for, like the author’s name, for instance.
For some fields you can enter text to tell MARS what to look for. For other fields you must browse and select from the available choices. Read below for instructions on how to use the Advanced Search fields.
Title
MARS will search all titles for the word or phrase you enter in this box.
Class, Collection, Series
Beside the Class, Collection, Series box, click on the Browse button to see a visual guide to our collections. For tips on how to use the Class, Collection, Series page, visit Class, Collection, Series Page Tips.
Year
The Year text box allows you to limit your search by the year or years when an item or record was created. You can type a single year (for example: 1942) or a range of years (for example: 1865-1868). Be aware that by limiting your search to a specific date, you may be limiting your search to the point that you do not get any results. For example, if you enter a death date, but a probated will is dated the next year, you might not get that reference as a result of your search.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Subjects
MARS will search all subject headings for the word or phrase you enter in this box. If you try this type of search and come up with zero results, do not be discouraged. Try to do a Basic Search instead, or use the Subjects (from index) browsing feature.
Subjects (from index)
Beside the text box, click on the Browse button to see a list of subject headings for MARS. On the Subjects (from index) screen, you will see the beginning of the subject headings list (beginning with the letter A).
You can browse the subject headings by clicking on the appropriate letter of the alphabet. Scroll down to see all results. At the bottom of the page, click on the page numbers or arrows to browse within that letter.
You can search the subject headings index by keyword. Near the top of this screen is a blank search box.
You can type a word or phrase into this box, and then click on Start Search. MARS will search the subject index for subject headings beginning with that word or phrase. The asterisk (*) and phrase searching option using quotation marks (") will not work here. To search for a personal name in this field, the last name must come first.
Whether you choose to browse or search within the subject headings index, you can limit MARS even further by choosing which subject types to search.
Subject types include:
- Subject (S)— general subjects (not proper names or geographic locations)
- Personal Name (P)— names of individuals
- Geographical Name (G)— names of places, towns, counties, mountains, swamps, etc.
- Family Name (F)— names of families and always structured as "[Surname] Family"
- Corporate Name (C)— names of groups, clubs, government units, businesses, academic institutions, churches, or other organizations
When you first open the Subject (from index) page, all of the subject types are listed at the top of the screen with checkmarks beside them, indicating that they will be included in the search. If you want to search or browse only a particular subject type (Family Name, for example), click on the boxes beside the types of subject headings that you are not interested in. The green checkmark will disappear, indicating that those types of subject headings will not be included in your search.
As you browse or search the subject headings index, you will see a list of subject headings on the lower part of your screen. After each subject heading you will see a letter and a number. The letter refers to the Subject Type and the number indicates how many records in MARS have that subject heading. For example:
Abbertons Creek ( G , 1) (Geographical name, 1 record)
Coal Mines and Mining ( S , 18) (Subject , 18 records)
King Family ( F , 22) (Family name, 22 records)
Quakenbush, Cornelia A. ( P , 1) (Personal name, 1 record)
WBT (Radio station : Charlotte, N.C.) ( C , 2) (Corporate name, 2 records)
Once you find a subject heading or several subject headings that interest you, click on the Add link beside the subject heading. You will see that the subject heading will then appear in a list on the right side of the screen. When you are done, click on the Done link to return to the Advanced Search screen.
If you would like to clear the list of subject headings that you have added, click on Clear. Remember that when you add multiple subject headings to your Advanced Search using the Subjects (from index) screen you will be searching for any records that have any one of the subjects that you have selected.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Author/Producer
Beside the Author/Producer text box, click on the Browse button to see the Author/Producer screen.
You can browse the author/producer index by clicking on a letter of the alphabet. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see all of the authors/producers for each letter.
You can search the author/producer index by name. Near the top of the Author/Producer screen is a drop box that says "Last Name starts with" or "Name contains." Choose the more suitable option, and then type the creator name into the blank box and click Start Search. The asterisk (*) and phrase searching option using quotation marks (") will not work here.
Creator role specifies how the creator was involved with the document. Records can have multiple creators who played various roles in the document’s creation. Creator roles include:
- GIS Data Creator
- Reprographer
- Unspecified
- Other
- Artist
- Cartographer
- Editor
- Publisher
- Photographer
- Author
Creator type distinguishes individual and family creators from organizational creators. Leave the person box checked to search for individual and family names. Leave the corporation box checked to search for groups, clubs, government units, businesses, academic institutions or other organizations.
When you first open the Author/Producer page, all of these creator roles and creator types will have check marks beside them, indicating that they will be included in the search. If you want to search or browse only a particular creator type or creator role, click on the boxes beside the roles or types that you are not interested in. The green checkmark will disappear, indicating that those creator types or roles will not be included in your search. Keep in mind that the majority of creator roles in MARS will be listed as authors, so if you uncheck that role, you may not see many results for your search.
As you browse or search with the Author/Producer screen, you will see a list of creators on the lower part of your screen. After each name you will see a letter, a role and a number in parentheses (). The letter refers to the creator type, and the number indicates how many records in MARS belong to that creator. For example:
Air Force Association ( C , Author, 6 )
Mathew Carey ( P , Publisher, 1 )
Campbell Family ( F , Author, 1 )
Once you find a creator or several creators that interest you, click on Add beside the creator name. The creator will then appear in a list on the right side of the screen. When you are finished, click on the Done link to return to the Advanced Search screen. If you would like to clear the list of creators that you have added, click on Clear.
Remember that when you add multiple creators to your Advanced Search using the Author/Producer screen you will be searching for any records that have any one of the creators that you have selected.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Type of Document
Beside the Type of Document text box, click on the Browse button to see the Type of Document screen. The Type of Document screen allows you to limit your search by selecting what types, or formats, of documents you would like to include. You will see a list of record types: Cookbooks, Letters, Legal files, Architectural drawings, Daguerreotype, Audio Tapes, etc.
If you find a type of document that you would like to search, click on the Add link beside the type of document. You will then see the type of document appear in a list on the right side of the screen. When you are finished, click on the Done link to return to the Advanced Search screen. If you would like to clear the list of document types that you have added, click on the Clear link.
Donor/Agent
MARS will look for the names of individuals or organizations who originally owned materials that are now part of the State Archives of North Carolina or the Outer Banks History Center, or who served as an agent, meaning that they physically brought the materials to the archives or otherwise facilitated the transfer but were not the persons/organizations who owned the collections.
Enter a name or part of a name into the Donor/Agent text box to search, separating multiple names with spaces. If you try this type of search and come up with zero results, do not be discouraged. Try to do a Basic Search instead.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Call Number Search
The Search by Call Number feature can be helpful if you have written down a call number or MARS Id, but forgot to write down the title. To use this feature, click on the Search by Call Number button from the Basic Search page. The default search is set to “Call Numbers Containing,” but you can select another way to search from the drop down menu. Below is a brief explanation of how each of these options will affect your search. Be sure to use correct punctuation (such as dashes and periods) or MARS will have trouble finding your record.
Call Numbers Containing
MARS will search anywhere in the call number field. If you enter “400,” MARS will find call numbers like N.84.5.2400, 33MAP-0-400, and 400.2323.
Call Numbers Starting
MARS will search only for call numbers that begin with your entry. If you enter “6,” MARS will find call numbers like 6.27.96 and 6SER-2-19.
MarsIds Starting
MARS will search only for MarsIds that begin with your entry. If you enter “12,” MARS will find MarsIds like 1206 and 12.14.68.921.
A MarsId Matching
MARS will search only for MarsIds that match your entry. Be very careful to include proper punctuation. Entering "1401" will not find the record that matches MarsId 140.1. However, entering "140.1" will find 140.1, 140.1.4 and 140.1.8. In other words, MARS will try to match your entry with the beginning of all MarsIds.
Old MarsIds Starting and An Old MarsId Matching
These search features are not commonly used. They might be helpful to an Archives employee who is working with older records, but most people who use the catalog will not need to use this search feature.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Results Screen
After completing a Basic or Advanced Search, MARS will return results for you to browse.
Each page will display 16 results as the default. You can adjust the number of results per page by clicking the Back To Search link in the yellow bar near the top of the screen and using the pull down menu on the right.
There is a small bar at the bottom of your search results with an arrow on either side of it and series of numbers below it. The numbers below the bar indicate what page of search results you are on currently and how many total pages there are in your search results.
To move through your search results, click on the small black arrows or the large green arrows near the bottom of the screen. You can also slide the bar to jump multiple pages or to locate a particular page in your list.
Below is a description of each column that appears in your search results.
MARS ID
MARS ID is a unique identifier, like a social security number for documents. For some materials, like state agency records which do not currently have a call number, the MARS ID functions much like a call number. However, if the item you are interested in has a call number, you should use the call number when requesting information from the State Archives or the Outer Banks History Center.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Class
Class is similar to type of document, but more specialized. We use abbreviations to represent each class on the Results screen.
| Class Abbreviation | Class Name | What does that mean? |
|---|---|---|
| AB | Account Books | Account books created by defunct companies, etc. |
| AR | Academic Records | Records created by defunct non-public schools and colleges |
| AV_IC (soon changing to NT) | Audio Visual and Iconographics (Non-Textual Materials) | Photographs, negatives, motion picture films, sound recordings, etc. |
| BR | Bible Records | Copies of family information pages from privately-held Bibles |
| CEM | Cemetery Records | Information collected as part of the North Carolina Cemetery Survey |
| CR | County Records | Records created by county governments |
| FA | Foreign Archives | Copies of documents related to North Carolina located in foreign archives |
| GIS | Geospatial Information Systems | Information about geospatial data layers created by various government agencies. While data about these records can be found in MARS, the actual records themselves are not found at the State Archives but are in the custody of the creating agency or hosting entity. |
| HICATS | Records from the Outer Banks History Center | HICATS was the name of the first OBHC online catalog, so all of their records are listed in this class. |
| MC | Map Collection | Maps depicting North Carolina or some portion thereof |
| MIL | Military Collection | Records related to the military affairs of the State of North Carolina and the military service of her citizens from the 1740s forward |
| MISC | Miscellaneous Collection | An artificial collection gleaned either from other collections or placed here due to their content. For example: Bibles of historical value, genealogies, etc. |
| OR | Organizational Records | Records created by private, professional, civic organizations or other such groups |
| PC | Private Collections | Our equivalent of a manuscript collection – the papers of individuals and families. |
| PO | Poster Collection | World War I, World War II, Political, Exhibition, and Miscellaneous posters |
| SR | State Agency Records | Records created by state agencies |
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Title
This column displays the titles of the records in your search results. Click on a title to open the Record Details screen and see more information about a record.
Year
The year or years listed in this column are the dates that the original records were created.
Container Type
Container type does not refer to a physical container. It describes the level of the record that you are looking at. This is a standard way to describe archival materials.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Call Number
The call number is used by staff to retrieve information that you request. When you want to see a specific item, you should write down the call number and title to help the staff member find the item. If there is no call number in the call number column, then you should write down the MARS ID with the title to help staff locate the item you request.
Child Count
The child count of a record refers to the number of items that are grouped beneath that record. The higher level record is called a parent record, and the lower level record is called a child record. The child count will tell you whether or not you can dig deeper within a record to find other items that might match your search. If the child count for a record is 0, then there are no lower levels currently described into MARS.
Has Image
If a green checkmark appears in the “has image” column, then you can view a digital copy of that document.
First click on the record title to open the Record Details screen, then click the View Document link to see the digital copy.
These high quality images require that you download special viewing software called DjVu. The first time you try to view a document, you will probably get a screen that says “Click here to download plugin.” You should be able to follow the on screen instructions to download and install DjVu from the Caminova website, following your browser’s prompts. Be sure that your pop-up blocker is off before you begin the download process. Usually, DjVu works better in the Internet Explorer browser, rather than Firefox.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Record Details Screen
Record Details provide specific information about a particular item in the MARS catalog, such as the author and the scope of the item.
When you do a Basic or Advanced Search, MARS will return a list of results that match the search terms or criteria that you selected. On your results list, click on a record title to see the Record Details.
A new window will pop up that says Details For- at the top in the red bar. This is the Record Details screen.
To return to browsing your search results, click the white X in the red bar at the top of this window, or click the Back To Search Results link at the bottom of this window.
Below is a list of the record details and a description of their contents. Some of the information may be left blank for certain records.
| Provenance | Shows where the item is organized in the collection |
| Title | Title of the record |
| Years | Year or years that the original record was created |
| Creator | Author, producer or artist's name |
| Languages | Language of the document |
| Call Number | Used by staff to retrieve information that you request; write down the call number to help the staff member find the item |
| Location | Where the item is kept |
| MARS ID | MARS ID is a unique identifier, like a social security number for documents. If there is no call number in the call number field, then you should write down the MARS ID to help staff locate the item you request. |
| Other Ids | Rarely used; might include an accession number or a records schedule number, especially for state government agency records |
| Physical Description | What the item looks like |
| Quantity | How many boxes, items, etc., the record includes. |
| Other Copies | Tells you whether other copies of the item exist, could include things like microfilm copies |
| Related Materials | While this is seldom used, it is a place for staff to list material that is similar to the records being described, but located in a different collection. For example, if the personal papers of a governor ended up in two different collections of material, then they could be brought together by listing the records in the second collection here. |
| Abstract | Very short statement about the contents of the record; mainly used for records with very long Scope/Contents notes. |
| Scope/ Contents | Includes detailed information about the contents of the item; if available, click on View Full Scope/Contents to read more about each item. |
| Index Terms | Displays the subjects and the subject types (personal, geographic, etc.) of the item |
| Source / Donor | Names of individuals or organizations who originally owned, gave, etc., the collections to the Archives or the Outer Banks History Center, or who served as an agent, meaning that they physically brought the materials to the archives or otherwise facilitated the transfer but were not the persons/organizations who owned the collections |
| Note | Any odd information that did not fit into one of the above sections |
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Search Tips
Whether you know exactly what you’re looking for, or are unsure of what to search for, you can use these helpful hints to save yourself some time when searching in MARS.
Use single (‘) or double (“) quotation marks to search for an exact phrase. Simply typing marriage bonds into the Basic Search box will return results for any records that contains the word marriage and the word bonds, but not necessarily the keyword phrase “marriage bonds.” If you want to see only information about marriage bonds, you must type “marriage bonds” with quotation marks (“) around the phrase.
Put an asterisk (*) on the end of a word to search for variations of that word. Here are some examples:
- You are unsure if the record you are looking for is from Greensboro, Greene County or Greenville. You can search for Green* to see all records that contain a word that begins with “Green” giving you a chance to browse through records referencing any of those three places.
- You want to search for information about gold mines, but you’re not sure whether to type “gold mines,” “gold mine,” or “gold mining.” Typing “gold min*” will return results for all three phrases (and notice that the asterisk is inside the closing quotation mark).
- You think that a person’s name is William, but you aren’t sure if it is a first or last name, or if it’s really “Williams” or “Williamson.” Typing William* will find all records that include any word starting with “William.”
Use a semicolon (;) to search for two or more phrases. If you wanted to do a search for materials that include the phrases African Americans and Civil War, you would enter African Americans; Civil War into the text box. Notice that because you are searching for multiple phrases, you do not use quotes of any kind.
On the Basic Search page, use the location of materials to limit your search by clicking in the small circle next to “Only State Archives (Raleigh)” or “Only Outer Banks History Center.”
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Class, Collection, Series Page Tips
There are two ways that the Class, Collection, Series page can be useful for beginning a search.
- You can browse our materials before doing a Basic Search to get a feel for how our materials are organized and what we have to offer.
- You can limit a Basic Search to specific classes, collections or series of materials.
Browse
- From the Basic Search page, click on the Browse button.
- Click the plus (+) and minus (-) signs to dig deeper or collapse groupings.
Limit
- From the Basic Search page, click on the Browse button.
- You will see a list of groupings. Click on the empty box next to the type of material that you want to include in your search. A green check mark will appear in that box to indicate that you have selected to search only those records. To uncheck a box, click it a second time.
- Click the plus signs (+) to dig deeper into the collection; click the minus signs (-) to collapse a grouping.
- Be careful when clicking the minus sign (-) not to collapse a grouping after you have selected materials. Selected materials within a collapsed grouping will become unchecked and will not be searched.
- To clear all selections, click on the Clear link.
- When you have selected as many groups as you care to search, click on the Done link.
- When you return to the Basic Search page, you will notice that the Class, Collection, Series box lists the groupings that you selected.
[Help Pages: Table of Contents]
Last updated: 05/01/2012
