How To Search

Access to Memory (AtoM) provides a central access point to the holdings of the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA).

Please note that while this online repository contains many archival descriptions and digital objects, this only represents a part of our holdings! You can access records, including photographs & other media, at the Sandra Thomson Reading Room.

Access to Memory (AtoM) is an open source archival description application. AtoM is a collaborative project with the aim to provide the international archival community with a free, open source software application to manage archival descriptions in accord with ICA standards.

Quick search tips for using this site:
• Enter a word or phrase (e.g., bridges) into the search box to look for something specific or explore using the browse feature.
• Search terms entered in the search box are, by default, searched with an “AND” operator. This means that searching for bridges athabasca will return all results to do with bridges AND athabasca.
• Use quotation marks around exact terms, phrases, and reference numbers for best results. Example: "bridges athabasca".
• Use a multiple character wildcard. Example: galax* will find galaxy and galaxies, but not galactic.
• Sample search: digital objects with the term bridge in the title: Photographs of bridges in Alberta.
• During your search, you can "pin" descriptions to a clipboard for review at a later time by clicking the paperclip icon on the results page. Access your clipboard by clicking on the paperclip icon at the top right of the screen. Please note that the clipboard is session-based and will be cleared once you close your browser. Please contact the Sandra Thomson Reading Room if you have questions.