Welcome to our Online Collections Database of the Finnish American Heritage Center!

Tips for Searching

The majority of items in this database are housed at Finlandia University's Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock, Michigan. However, in an effort to raise awareness and visibility of Finnish-American archival materials across North American, we have partnered with other Finnish-American Organizations, such as the Finnish American Heritage Society in Canterbury, Connecticut to catalog their smaller collections as well. Please be aware of the location designated for any materials in which you are interested. Please direct any questions about this to the archivist: archive@finlandia.edu

Keyword Search

The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for Finnish Hall will return records associated with Finnish OR Hall). If you want to find records where both keywords are found, type in AND between the two words. To search for a specific phrase, be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "Suomi Synod seminary"). You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.

Advanced Search

The Advanced Search button can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. For example, searching White in the People field will bring up any records associated with a member of the White family, without having to sift through black & white photographs. You can also search People and Creator records through Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are available in Advanced Search.

Random Images

The Random Images button is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.

Catalog Searches (Archives / Photos / Libraries / Objects)

The catalog buttons can also help narrow down your search, by only searching with a selected catalog. If you only want to search for Photos, click the Photos button and type in your keyword(s) or phrase. You can also browse records within that catalog without performing a search. Phrase searching, wildcards (*) as well as AND/OR statements are available when performing catalog searches.